AN: It's finals. I have a chapter to release. Please forgive me if this chapter has some corrections to be made still, but I know the story is intact.
I think there's gonna be a Christmas chapter this year, and I promise, I won't stab Ben or something this year.
...or will I?
Oscar was adapting. Slowly, but surely. But, he wasn't going to lie to himself- this was just so...weird.
Last month, he was a typical farmhand, ignorant of the horrors behind the veil. And one day, he decided to peek behind it, and he just couldn't go back after hearing that voice in his head explain to him his destiny or...whatever.
There were some benefits to this new life- he had made fast friends with the others, he had a fantastic view of the city from his new room, his training was going pretty well, and he FINALLY got to see what the hype behind cable TV was.
But of course, every pro has a con.
Oscar's biggest con? He honestly felt a little homesick.
Don't get him wrong- he loved all the technology and the convenience, and the fancy foods and the warm rooms and the fact that he had a thermostat that he could adjust so that he would be forever hypnotized by the MANY blankets he had stolen and sink into his massive bed...
He hated the fact he was the only person to have this luxury. I'm sure Aunt Dorothy would love this stuff more than he did, honestly. Hell, maybe some of those farmers in town deserved a nice place like this for all their hard work.
Plus, Oscar was somewhat alone. His experiences weren't universal- he was just a farmhand with a simple life and an unwilling destiny...everyone else was either a superpowered badass, an alien, a demon...or whatever the hell Doppler was.
Oscar also felt like he was lacking behind. Everyone else had a cool semblance or power, Ben especially...but all he had was a guy in his head and a cane. I mean, yeah, he did have that guy's skills and movements, but yet...it didn't feel deserved.
"My father, my grandfather, and his father before him were all warriors. They were all heroes." Oscar explained to Ozma one night. "I think that's where my desire to be something more than a farm boy came from."
"I understand that." Ozma sympathized. "But why do you feel...unworthy?"
"Well...I never went to any training school, I didn't take any tests, I never even met another hunter or huntress before Ben, Ruby, or Rex." Oscar went on. "I just...inherited a bunch of skills from you. It just...doesn't feel fair to those who have been working their entire lives for this."
"Don't worry. Your journey is far from over, and the same might be said for all of the others. One can still grow and evolve." Ozma comforted him. " Providing you are willing to put in the work, who knows what could happen?"
Oscar felt a tiny bit better hearing that.
To be fair, it wasn't unexpected that Oscar had sparked up a friendship with Blonko. He and Blonko had a similar upbringing, and they often joked about farm stuff that "city folk just wouldn't get". It was also a good plus because the two were still working on their techniques, so they could spar in the mornings, when the training grounds opened training was simple- a few warm-up exercises, running through an obstacle course, and then...combat training.
That was always fun.
Oscar dodged another quick punch from Blonko, and struck back with his staff- despite the fact he had Ozma's cane in his inventory, he just...didn't feel ready to use it. The Long Memory, Ozpin called it, was simplistic, but the fact it was a weapon that had been around since...presumably the start of Ozma's legacy, that held a lot of weight to it.
And it stressed Oscar out that he was pretty much holding the Staff version of Thor's Hammer. Ozma's past reflexes came in handy when fighting a close-range fighter like Blonko. Ozma had seen enough of them to predict their every move.
"Okay, now Blonko is going to throw a right hook," Ozpin said, as Oscar quickly blocked his right side. Sure enough, Blonko's attack was stopped. "Next, he'll try to do a flip kick. Distance yourself." Oscar backed up, as Blonko did a perfect flip kick- probably the nicest one Oscar had ever seen.
Well, he hadn't seen any flip kicks before, but still. That one was gonna be hard to beat.
"It's not as fun to fight when you're spoiling everything, you know," Oscar frowned.
"Alright, alright...I'll let you go in blind. I think it's time we review." Ozpin said, before sipping something.
"...what was that?"
"...Coffee." (It wasn't. It was hot chocolate.)
"...why does my mindscape have coffee?"
"Why not?"
"...that's a fair point."
Blonko ran at Oscar and threw a few more punches, which Oscar blocked- a pretty good start, honestly. It was good to know that all this training was paying off.
And then the unexpected happened.
Blonko threw a sucker punch to Oscar's gut. Oscar never saw it coming, and to be honest, no one would believe this rare sighting of "rude Rook".
"I suggest working on your defenses."
"I'll keep that in mind," Oscar said, as Blonko helped him up.
"Were you getting advice from Ozpin?" Blonko asked.
"For the first few kicks? Yeah. From then until...the gut punch, no. Going in blind." Oscar said.
"Not bad, not bad." Blonko nodded. "You most certainly are gaining his muscle memory."
"Just the basics. Haven't gotten to...sucker-punching yet." Oscar said. "I'm sure I'll get there before...backflips and such."
"I would be surprised if it went differently," Rook said as he went back on the attack, throwing a series of punches at Oscar. Right hook left jab, right turning kick, followed by more and more moves. Thanks to what Oscar already had, he was able to either dodge or block some of them. He still took a good few hits from the flurry, of course.
"Let's go again," Oscar said. "One more time before breakfast. Don't hold back. I wanna see how much of a good position I'm in..."
"If you are sure," Rook said, taking up a combat stance again, "This time, how about you take the first swing?"
Oscar nodded. "Right, right." Oscar took a step back, as he clenched his fist. He needed to put a lot into this one punch, to show he wasn't messing around.
And so, as he reared his arm back, ready, he took a swing right at Rook, going at him from the left. Rook, however, easily managed to redirect the hit back away from him, and instead threw a strike at Oscar's chest.
Oscar slid back, as he caught his breath. "Good," Oscar said, as he quickly ran at Blonko. Oscar felt an overwhelming surge of power course through his legs, as he leaped forward to do a spinning downward kick. An odd move from Ozpin's collective, but he hoped it would break Blonko's defense.
Rook tried to block but, sure enough, it did just what he hoped it would do. Rook's arms were forced down and he was wide open.
Oscar smirked- now it was time to show off what he could do. The second he landed, Oscar quickly shoulder bashed Blonko in the chest. Not a move he picked up from Ozpin, believe it or not. Farmhand knowledge from memories of roughhousing with his friends.
Blonko chuckled. "There is a move I know..."
"They catch you off guard with that one back home too?" Oscar grinned.
"Once or twice, but it was never for long!" Rook went back on the offensive, starting with a roundhouse kick to throw Oscar off.
Oscar quickly dodged the attack, as he punched forward- a direct hit to the chest. Amplified by aura, too. Blonko felt like his chest had been bashed in. The hit sent him staggering back, his hand over his chest.
"Well, if we are to make things easier..." Blonko said, as his hands lit up. "Allow me to see if my Revonnah Kai is up to par." Rook's hands turned white, as he quickly ran at Oscar. He threw some quick punches, as Oscar avoided them. Rook smirked- a sucker punch! Oscar could tell it was coming...
And when it did, Oscar almost managed to get it. Right as Rook was pulling the move he dodged...only for Rook to suddenly switch on him and strike with his left instead of his right.
Oscar gasped, as he stumbled back. Now was the time for Blonko to strike back. Rook prepared a strong, single-handed chest strike- Oscar tensed up, as he guarded his body...
And Rook suddenly struck a dome around his body.
Rook raised a brow at this, pulling his hand back. Oscar, however, somewhat recognized the dome. He, or rather Ozpin, used this back home. When he was about to be crushed by Viktor.
"Think that was me this time." Oscar grinned.
"Well, I have to admit. It is impressive. But...how do you shut it down?" Blonko asked.
"...good question," Oscar admitted.
"Um...hey Ozpin?" Oscar asked mentally.
Ozpin sipped his coffee. "You said you wanted to see what you learned. Consider this a part of your review."
"Uh...ok...ok," Oscar was thinking back on it. He tried focusing on just having the barrier drop.
...nothing. Oscar blinked. "Augh...thought I had this down, finally!"
"You're not the first who's had trouble with it. It's less common for people to master it quickly," Ozpin admitted, hoping to raise Oscar's spirits a bit.
"I don't need some patronizing right now..." Oscar frowned, trying to focus.
"Wasn't trying to." With that last bit, Oscar kept trying to focus. He tried just visualizing the barrier dropping in his head.
Blonko hummed. "Perhaps we should see how strong this barrier is, while you try and get it down."
"Uh...sure. Just don't try to use something too strong. I don't want to drop it right when you're about to hit me with...what did you call it again?" Oscar asked.
"Ah. Stonecutter."
"Right. That. Please be gentle." Oscar begged.
Rook nodded and he strayed away from using that specific move. However, that didn't stop him from using lower-power techniques. The attacks just bounced off the shield as Oscar tried focusing on getting that shield down.
One last powerful strike slammed into the shield and then, with Oscar's focus, the barrier faded.
Rook shook his hand. "What a durable semblance."
"Yeah. Just gotta work on bringing it down faster..."
"And I am sure you'll get it soon." Rook said, patting Oscar on the back. Oscar gave a smile at that, but a thought in the back of his mind grew.
How soon until she makes her next move? Would he be ready then?
Oscar grabbed a fresh apple from the bin. One of the added benefits of going to a place as nice as this? The food was always amazing. Of course, he still had that "I don't deserve this luxury" mindset in his head, but take advantage of what you have.
Oscar scanned the room- he didn't know where to sit. He could go retreat into the back corner of the eating area or break a leg and try to form a new relationship with a total stranger.
...Oscar quickly retreated into a corner table.
"So, this where the cool kids sitting?"
Oscar looked up to see Kylie and Weiss, approaching him. "Morning!" Kylie greeted. Weiss looked a bit miffed, not in a tired way, but in an "I will murder anyone and anything" kind of way.
"Morning," Oscar said back. Weiss stabbed into pancakes, causing the table to shake. Oscar's eyes watched in horror as Weiss chomped down on the pancakes with enough vitriol to make the Devil shiver. Weiss was usually a level-headed girl- what happened to make her so...angry?
"...is, uh, she okay?" Oscar asked Kylie.
"Oh, yeah...she just saw the news," Kylie said.
Oscar immediately understood. The news does that to people. He recalled seeing his aunt pour a bottle of wine once when reading the morning paper. "I...see. What bad news did she get?"
"Just the candidates for the right-wing party for the Atlas election," Kylie said, cutting up her hashbrowns. "Her dad's running."
"Dad? You mean general Ironwood, right?" Oscar asked. That was the only dad he knew of.
"Not. That. Dad." Weiss hissed, seething with rage. "I'd hoped he'd shut up after that dinner…"
"Huh?" Oscar said.
"Miss Schnee's biological father is...a bit of a character," Ozpin explained inside Oscar's mind. "I'll make this exposition brief- married into the family for the money, ruined the company in a matter of years, and was kicked out after doing some...experiments. Surprisingly not for racism."
"Yeah, the biological Mr. Schnee is...how would you say it nicely...uh, how old are you again, Oz?" Kylie asked.
"...I'm 15." Oscar said.
"Sorry, you're so small and young-faced." Kylie explained. "But...yeah, he's an absolute bastard. Dude screwed over the family company, and bailed when stuff hit the fan."
Oscar cringed. "Yeesh...uh, sorry to hear?"
"I appreciate it, but...God, politics suck." Weiss frowned. "Politics is defined as a discussion on policy. Policy, in some way, dictates every aspect of your life. And that of the lives around you. It is not something to ignore or become detached from, because it will not ignore or detach itself from you." Weiss's face got angrier. "But my father is the most tone-deaf jerk around. And those people who love him? Love him. So, he's gonna fucking win."
"...sadly, I don't doubt that. While I'm not affected by the politics in this country, cuz...foreigner, but I'm greatly saddened by the possibility people could get screwed over by one guy." Kylie said, biting into her hashbrowns.
"Have they at least announced his opponent yet in the election?" Oscar asked. "I figured they would've done that..."
"Not yet, but knowing the left-wing? It's gonna be some spineless nobody people aren't gonna rally behind because he's...weird or whatever." Kylie said. "...because politics suck."
"...are you two okay?" Oscar asked.
"After American elections, I've lived through hell, kid." Kylie huffed, shaking her head.
"Yeah, I've heard those are hell," Oscar said, shaking his head.
"Hell? That's a very light description." Kylie frowned.
"Hell is a very accurate description for America," Kevin said, as he and Min sat down.
"Yeah, in the demon world, America was a model representation of 'hell world', and when we were going 'too far' or pushing the envelope or some shit," Min said.
Oscar blinked. "...I forgot you were a demon for a second."
"What, the glowing yellow eyes not give it away?" Min teased.
"...well, Blake."
"...shit, you have a point."
"Why are you even talking about elections anyways?" Kevin asked, as he bit into his apple.
"You didn't read the news?" Weiss asked.
"I find it better to not watch the news. Too much...bleh." Kevin shrugged.
"...fair point," Weiss grumbled, as she went back to her meal.
"So, how'd your sparring match go with Blonko?" Min asked.
"Pretty good...thought I was nailing the hand-to-hand stuff...then Blonko hit me with a sucker punch," Oscar said, rubbing his bruised stomach.
Min scoffed. "Come on, you know that's gonna happen. That nice farm boy front is a lie. He would tip over cows if his nice persona was just reduced by...about 11%."
"You've been with us...what, a month now?" Kevin asked. "Those are some pretty fast strides if you ask me. Doing better than me in my therapy."
"...you had therapy?" Oscar asked.
"Long story," Kylie said. "He cried at the end of it."
"They were tears of finally belonging, damn it." Kevin defended himself.
Oscar felt weird, standing in a big important office like this. Sure, he'd introduced himself here a few weeks back, but even now...it was too rich. Even with the simplistic lined up shelves chocked full of books, Oscar was more distracted by the windows that had a view over of Atlas, like it was Mufasa showing Simba the kingdom.
...and sadly, there was a place the light didn't touch either. And it NEEDED that light.
And that's why Ironwood called them in.
"I need you kids to infiltrate a Mantle group known as the Happy Huntresses." Ironwood explained.
"The Happy Huntresses? Who are they, exactly?" Weiss asked.
"Happy Huntresses are Atlas graduates, kids with futures who decided to abandon that for protecting their hometown." Clover, who was also present, explained. "They've got some of the best semblances, fighting styles, and weapons around. There's a possibility a bunch of them would've been on a team similar to the Ace-Ops...had they sided with Atlas."
"They've been making headlines in Mantle as of late, defending the town from Grimm," Ironwood said.
"So? Not a big deal." Kylie said. "We deal with Grimm all the time."
"I should add to that..." Ironwood said. "They've been making headlines in Mantle as of late, defending the town from Grimm...before the Atlas military can even deploy a single drone. They're showing us how little our help means to them...and it's well deserved."
Oscar raised an eyebrow. "Why say that?"
"Atlas brushed aside the issues plaguing Mantle," Ironwood said. "The council has made so many hollow promises to them...they're understandably pissed."
"So, you want us to...gain Robyn's trust," Kevin said. "What's stopping you from going to her in person? You're adults. You used your words efficiently when you told the world about Salem."
"Back in the day, Miss Hill and I were both rookies in the Atlas military." Ironwood explained. "The two of us were both of the best, having conquered every challenge with ease...so imagine my shock when she turned down the option of joining the elite military Huntsmen after she graduated. I did confront her and...well, it didn't end pretty. Both of us said some stuff we'd most likely regret, but we never did apologize. Plus...time has aged the both of us. I've become the scapegoat of most, if not ALL, of Mantle's issues...when they should be going after the real issues." His eyes narrowed at the picture of Jacques Schnee's fake smile.
"...well, damn," Min said. "You've got a history."
"I've seen a lot, Miss Alkaev," Ironwood said, closing his eyes. "I'd honestly prefer Miss Hill in the council than Jacque. Much rather feel...awkward than feel anger."
"So, how are we gonna infiltrate the Happy Huntresses?" Kylie asked.
"We've already devised some disguises for the five of you. We'll just ask you to change and we'll put you in Mantle." Clover said.
"Alright…then let's get to it." Kevin nodded. Hopefully, these disguises are good enough…
The disguises were…meh. It was some civilian-esqe clothes that would help them look the part. Weiss had to undo her massive braid and hide it- people in Mantle didn't take well to Schnees, because…well, rich. Oscar's clothes were probably the most unchanged- it reminded him of his clothes back home.
But for now, the group had to find and locate the Happy Huntresses.
(AN: And while I'd love to show the search, I'd rather just skip ahead to the meeting.
This author is in finals mode. Cut her some slack.)
"Uh...hey." Kevin cleared his throat, getting the young woman's attention.
She was a young woman with short messy swept styled white hair. She had sheep ears as her Faunus trait and olive eyes with a small hoop earring on her left ear and a small bell earring on her right ear. She wore an olive green sleeveless coat with dark brown lapels with the Happy Huntress' Brooch on the left lapel. She sported a green long-sleeved shirt with a white orange trimmed breastplate over it. She also wore an orange belt around her waist holding her coat tightly around her waist. She also wore dark brown pants tucked into gray under the knee boots with the tops folded over revealing the white lining. The soles and toes of the boots were a darker gray.
"...hi?" The girl asked, a bit confused. "Can I...help you?"
"We wanna volunteer for the Happy Huntresses," Kylie said, stepping forward. "Mantle deserves better, and we wanna pave a way for it."
The girl scanned the group nervously- was she suspicious of them?
"I don't trust them." A gruff voice frowned. Weiss' eyes darted over to see an Amazon of a woman- the character was a tall, tanned woman with masculine features with short dark green partially spiked hair, beige eyes, and tattoos on her nose and forehead. She wore a cocoa brown coat with dark brown lapels and white trim and hem detail over a light beige long-sleeved top. She also wore artichoke green and white armored pads with emerald green straps on her arms alongside brown gloves. She sported a pair of brown trousers tucked into black boots with emerald green cuffs. She also wore a light gray and pale green breastplate that sported the Happy Huntress' brooch emblem in the center.
"Huh? They're joining the same way we did." The sheep girl said. "I don't see what you're so worried about, Johanna."
"Fiona, when a group of random strangers we've never seen around here asks to join, they're absolutely up to something," Johanna said, crossing her arms. The group broke out into a nervous sweat- they were Atlas students, having properly deduced who they possibly were in SECONDS. That's record time.
Once at Atlas student, always an Atlas student. Ozpin murmured in Oscar's head. Let me take over.
"W-what?" Oscar said as an awkward chill ran up his spine.
"What was that?" Johanna asked Oscar, towering over the boy in height.
Oscar cleared his throat. "We've just come to help." Oscar said, "As people quite literally living under the capitalist ruling regime, we're tired of them calling all the shots and telling US what we can and can't do. We are our people, and they do not speak for us- therefore, they should not live vicariously through us because of this. Their words do more harm than good to all of us."
Johanna blinked. "...okay, maybe they're cool. But we have to see if Robyn's cool with them."
Fiona sighed. "I can at least agree with that. Let me get her." Fiona walked off.
Oscar blinked, as Ozpin gave him control of his body again.
What was THAT? Oscar asked.
My thoughts exactly. Ozpin said, in a cool and dignified way.
...I thought YOU suggested Atlas should float above Mantle, Oscar frowned.
Just for purely aesthetic reasons. Ozpin said. I thought it'd look cool. The 1% ruined it.
Robyn Hill was a young woman with tanned skin and violet eyes. Her light-blond hair was tied in a ponytail. She had a beauty mark under her right eye and another one on the left side under her mouth.
She wore a black sleeveless coat with gray accents over a red double-breasted sleeveless vest, a brown high neck shirt, and a light gray short-sleeved shirt with one right short sleeve that has a black cuff whilst the other sleeve is longer. She complimented that jacket with a brown belted waist clincher with matching brown pants tucked into black knee-high boots with dark brown cuffs. Around her neck, she wore an olive green scarf with tattered-looking tails hanging behind her. She also wore a pair of black archery-styled gloves with the index finger missing on both of them.
She gave the group a puzzled look. "Hm." She said, looking them up and down. "You five certainly aren't from around here."
Oscar's eyes widened. "...how did you-"
"Atlas Military tends to dress their spies up poorly. They all wear the same shoes. Same boots, and same overpolished dress shoes." Robyn said. "Plus, they act differently. Shifty-eyed and almost always on their own. Their shirts are never form fitting so they can conceal a weapon and cuffs- I can go on if you want."
The group all shared a look.
"...you're good," Kevin said, a bit impressed.
"I put my skills to use," Robyn said.
"So, what happens now?" Kylie asked. "Are you gonna...hold us ransom?"
Robyn gave Kylie a strange look.
"Sorry, sorry. I've never been in a situation like this before. All so...new to me." Kylie blushed, scratching the back of her head.
"No, I'm not gonna hold you kid's ransom. But I would sell ALL of you to Satan for a bag of corn chips." Robyn grinned. "Full offense."
"...Corn chips are good..." Oscar murmured.
"Not the point," Weiss frowned.
"Now, honestly, I'm appreciative Ironwood sent over his little puppets today. We're about to engage in an incredibly dangerous mission, and I've heard plenty about you kids." Robyn's eyes focused on Kevin. "You put up a good fight in the Vytal Festival, motorhead. Your powers are interesting."
"Uh...thanks," Kevin said. Motorhead was a weird nickname, but he could live with it?
"Same goes with you, princess." Robyn pointed over at Weiss. "You did pretty well."
Weiss took the comment in stride.
"...for a Schnee." Robyn's voice was dripping with vitriol.
Weiss gave a loud huff.
"And while I don't know you," Robyn pointed at Min. "I sense deeply chaotic energy from you. Harness that well."
"My mantra is just 'cause problems on purpose'. I harness the MOST chaotic of energies." Min grinned evilly.
"Ooooh, I like you already," Robyn said.
"So, what are you planning to use us for, Miss Hill?" Oscar asked.
"Excellent question, Pine Sap." Robyn grinned. "...we're gonna break into one of your bases."
"...excuse me?" Oscar blinked.
"Well...most of the military bases around here are kind of almost abandoned," Fiona explained. "They house a lot of useful equipment that the people could use. Not like the typical weapons and stuff, but... necessities needed for survival. Blankets to survive the cold, rations they've left untouched...all stuff they've neglected to leave for Mantle."
"So, we're gonna break the place open-" Robyn said.
"And steal what we can and give it back to the people," Weiss said.
"Close, but no cigar." Robyn grinned. "We're gonna turn it into a homeless shelter."
The group shared a collective look of confusion. This was not what they expected when they said 'break into a military base'. Whether for publicity or not, this was a wholesome act. As they walked, Weiss was a bit...angered when she saw the state Mantle was in. She'd been here for some missions now and again, but today, she was irritated with the state the city was in.
Compare and contrast the conditions Atlas and Mantle were in. Atlas was a city of great prosperity and architectural wonder, a gleaming jewel in the sky that is nicknamed 'the City of Dreams'. Meanwhile, Mantle remained grounded in the ruins of the old kingdom and wreathed by the smoke of the mines Atlas left behind. It was abandoned by the rich once they realized there was no more profit in it.
Mantle suffered greatly because of this- streets were run-down, technology was old, security defenses haven't been updated in years, and the aforementioned smog from the mines hung heavy over the city.
Why the hell was she never made known of these issues? Why did she enjoy luxury from her floating city, purposely kept blind to the issues around her?
Robyn gave Weiss a look. "You okay, kid? This is...just a common problem everywhere."
"Oh, I'm fine. Just a little annoyed that this stuff was purposely ignored and kept out of my line of sight." Weiss frowned. "Not the first damn time this has happened."
"...damn, you're starting to grow on me, kid," Robyn smirked.
"So, where's this place?" Kylie asked.
"It's a bit further into the city," Joana said, "On the border between the commercial and residential districts."
"What happened to his place?" Kevin asked. "I thought Atlesians once lived here."
"They did," Fiona said, "But this is what happens when all the rich people decide to pack up and just leave. They didn't care what would happen when they left, just that they got out as soon as possible."
"Typical," Weiss said coldly.
"So, they fled to that stupid piece of shit island in the sky?" Min asked.
"They saw Mantle wasn't gonna make it and...Atlas was the shiny, untouched promised land. So, yeah."
"Anytime something goes to shit, they're gonna always bail. Have you never seen Titanic?" Kevin asked.
"I have. Fantastic comedy movie. Subpar Doctor Who episode." Min said.
"Oh, you think so too?" Fiona said, "Well, I mean on the second part."
"Oh, yeah. Great setup, terrible payoff. Wish the rich dude died." Min said.
"That's a full mood," Weiss said. She didn't even know what they were talking about.
"Wasn't that the point though? No one has control over who gets to live?" Fiona asked.
"Yeah, but the guy was still an ass," Min said.
"Would you guys stop discussing that? We need to focus on the task." Robyn said. "As much as I'd like to bully more millionaires, the most important thing right now is to break into this place and open it up."
"O-oh! Right, sorry!" Fiona said, rubbing the back of her head nervously.
"So, what's the plan?" Oscar asked.
"Simple. We need to take care of the fences." Robyn said. "DESPITE the fact it's abandoned, those fences are still active for some brain dead reason. They'll electrocute you if you even touch it."
"Add in the skeleton crew of drones for security. Because let's waste hi-tech resources on an abandoned building," the fourth Happy Huntress said. She had joined them before they set off to the warehouse. She had fair skin and blue hair done up into a long ponytail. She wore a dusty brown coat over a gray waistcoat and a dark brown top, dark brown shorts with matching armored gloves, dark brown thigh-highs, and an orange scarf. In her hand, she held the trademark crossbow staff of the Huntresses in its compressed form.
"You never introduced yourself, by the way," Kylie said. "Kinda just came out of nowhere..."
"Was a bit busy. Name's May Marigold."
Kylie's eyes narrowed. Why was she oddly drawn to this one?
"Everything okay?" Weiss asked. "You have that 'inquisitive' look on your face."
"Hm? Yeah, I'm fine." Kylie hummed. "Just gonna need to find a good time to talk to May."
Saying the name again in her head, Weiss thought the last name sounded familiar. A question for later though. Right now, they had a warehouse to take.
The facility the Huntresses' were "targeting" was, at least judging it on the outside, a large and spacious military warehouse in Mantle's right on the borders of the two districts. The whole place looked to have been abandoned for a while, anywhere from a few months to a few years. The perimeter security was still up though, along with a skeleton crew of Atlesian Knights. The alabaster armored machines patrolled around the warehouse, defending it from thieves and looters. Robyn and the others had stopped a good ways away from the warehouse. Fiona pulled out a pair of binoculars and brought them up to her eyes, looking through the windshield of the card. She adjusted the view a few times and looked around.
"Yep," the sheep Faunus said after looking for a few minutes, "standard guard routine."
"Then that means the usual plan. May, Fiona? The floor's all yours," Robyn said. Fiona opened the door of the "newly appropriated" armored truck. It was just one of the many spoils they found from one of the abandoned military bases they've hit before. It was Johanna who suggested they paint their logo on the side. Not exactly the best for stealth but she said that was the point. Let the people pick them out of the crowd, so to speak. May got up from her seat in the back, opened the big double doors, and hopped out. She stretched a bit after leaning her staff up against the vehicle.
"Ready?" Fiona asked, her staff slung behind her back.
"Yep," May said, finishing up and grabbing her weapon. She nudged the transport's door closed behind her with her foot before she and Fiona started heading off.
"So...you're just sending them?" Oscar asked, "Alone?"
"This is how we usually do things," Johanna answered, "Let May and Fiona deal with the skeleton crews. And those are always androids, so Fiona's semblance will work just fine on them."
"What do you mean by that?" Kevin asked.
"Does she have some sort of electrical disrupting semblance?" Min guessed.
"Or a semblance that allows her to control tech?" Weiss added.
"Not exactly...but you'll see," Joana said with a smirk.
Before they got too close, May's hands started to glow. Her Aura, a navy blue, surged around her hands. Weiss, Oscar, and everyone else from the Atlas group watched through the front of the truck as the two Huntresses suddenly vanished.
"And there's May's," Robyn smirked, leaning back in the driver seat.
Since there were only two people, May didn't have much trouble worrying about not covering everyone. As the two continued under cover of the field, Fiona took a deep breath and readied herself. They stopped right behind the first gate guard Knight and waited. One of the mobile patrol units was still making its rounds. Once it had rounded the corner and its clanking footfalls were quiet enough, Fiona reached out, Aura surging around her hand, and touched the android. As soon as she did, her Aura extended out like a ripple over the android, covering it in light-green/yellow energy. The android then, seemingly dissolved into similarly colored particles. Those particles then flowed into Fiona's palm and, just like that, the Knight was gone.
"What the hell!?" Kevin gasped.
Kylie frowned. "The hell kind of semblance is that? What, did she like, atomize it!?"
"It's not gone," Robyn said, "it's technically still in one piece. The way she explained it was like she had a bag but it didn't have a bottom. She said it's like a 'pocket dimension.'"
"A semblance that can access a pocket dimension?" Oscar asked.
A rarer semblance, but an incredibly handy one. Ozpin hummed.
"Hell, the way she explained it, didn't sound like there was a limit. I'm sure there is but hell if I know it," Joana said.
"So, say she gets her aura destroyed. Does she lose all that stuff in the pocket dimension?" Kylie asked.
"If that happened, I think it all just reappears on the spot. Just rematerializes. She never really said."
"What a weird ability..." Weiss murmured.
With the first stage done, May and Fiona then went into the checkpoint office and worked on shutting down the perimeter fences without raising an alarm from the Knights.
"Okay, that's good..." Weiss hummed. "But what if we need those knights?"
"Please. We don't need them. We have us." Robyn grinned.
May knew her way around the systems and with a few good keystrokes on the office's keyboard, the fences around the warehouse powered down. Time for stage two. Silently moving out of the checkpoint office, the duo began systematically picking off the remaining Knights by disabling them with their weapons and then cleaning up the wreckage using Fiona's Semblance. To an outside onlooker, it would look like the Knights were simply vanishing into thin air. To Weiss and some of the others, it eerily reminded them of a certain cult's abilities to step between any "cracks" in reality.
Kylie shivered. "Plus, it's just freaky."
Soon Robyn heard her Scroll sound off. She brought it up and checked. May had sent the all-clear signal and the leader of the Happy Huntresses nodded. "Alright people, all clear!" She was already opening the driver-side door and ready to head over.
"Alright, what do you need us to do first?" Weiss asked.
"Well, let's see what we're working with," Robyn said as she hopped out of the vehicle, closing the door behind her.
"I guess we just follow her, I guess." Oscar shrugged.
"Yep," Joana said as she got out first, grabbing her crossbow staff, "let's get to work you lot."
"So. Anyone expect this tonight?" Kylie asked, jokingly. "No? Alright."
"Wonder what gave that away," Kevin said, still surprised at Fiona's semblance essentially being black holes in the palms of her hands.
"Does Ironwood seriously think we can even convince them?" Weiss asked. "They're very self-governed."
"We just need to convince them to work with him, right?" Oscar asked, "Not work under him. He's not drafting them."
"Yeah, but...with Robyn? I dunno if she can honestly be convinced." Weiss said. "ESPECIALLY since one of the members is from a pretty well-off Atlesian family."
"Wait what?" Kevin said.
"Which one?" Oscar asked.
"May Marigold. She's like me, an heiress." Weiss hummed. "But, it's weird...could've sworn the Marigolds had..."
Weiss paused.
"...ooooooooh." Weiss said.
"Yeah, see why I so desperately wanna talk to them?" Kylie asked.
"Still think we should try," Oscar said, hopping out of the vehicle, "besides, even if we don't convince them, we still help Mantle. I doubt the general would object to a homeless shelter."
"I guess," Kevin said. "Plus, we're getting encouraged to be irresponsible. That's pretty good."
Fiona had deposited all of the Knight mechs in a pile behind the building so they were out of the way. Joana, meanwhile, used her staff to break the lock of the warehouse doors and push them open.
Oscar watched them work carefully. It was nice to get a break from the bright Atlas lights and go down to Earth...literally.
"Well," Robyn said, opening up a crate of supplies, "don't just stand there!"
"Huh? Oh, right." Oscar was one of those poor souls who had to be 'pushed' in the right direction for him to do something.
"Little help over here?" Joana called out, hefting a heavy box over her shoulder, "Got some more crates back here and May's dealing with the numbers side of things."
It was around then that Fiona had rejoined the group as well, already going to work and helping Robin get things set up. They were essentially making packages where everyone who arrived for the first time at the shelter would get enough rations and a blanket for the colder nights and placed them on any of the empty crates, using them as makeshift tables.
"Think we'll have enough?" the sheep Faunus asked.
"Probably more than enough," Robyn replied, taking out more supplies from their crates.
Oscar ran over to help Joana. "Think I can lift one of these by myself?"
Joana shrugged. "Might need to drag it a bit, but...I think you'll be fine."
Oscar nodded and went over to one of those boxes and...wow, it was a lot heavier than he was expecting. Joana was right, dragging it might be a better option than just lifting it.
Need a quick boost? The coffee-drinking apparition in his head asked.
I'd appreciate it, Oscar said as he was dragging the box over to where Joana was placing them.
Ozpin smiled, as he gave Oscar a brief strength boost. It would last him a few minutes, enough time to move the boxes.
Oscar huffed a bit, lifting the box up and onto his shoulder. Thanks. Oscar smirked as he continued working.
Joana raised an eyebrow. "Damn, kid. I took you for granted...you should still lift with your legs, though."
"Huh? Oh, right," Oscar said, taking the advice on the next box he had to move.
Oscar moved a few more boxes, as Robyn studied him carefully. The other kids gave off a vibe she could easily markdown. But for him? He was...different.
She might need to talk to him about that.
While the others were all helping out in their way, Weiss and Kylie had managed to move back and find May. She currently had out a scroll and was marking down how many boxes were full of useful supplies and how many were just military surplus. Like Robyn said earlier, nothing dangerous like weapons but still.
"...so, May, right?" Kylie asked. "...uh, so...what's up?"
Weiss cringed a bit- she could tell this would be awkward. Kylie, like her brother, never was good with striking up conversations with strangers. Her friends? Yeah, she could talk about anything. But strangers?
That was a bit of a different story.
"Hm? Oh, hey uh...shit, I don't think I ever actually got your name," May said, taking her attention away from the supplies for a minute.
"Kylie. Kylie Dombrowski." Kylie said. "...so, uh. I...I know this is gonna sound weird, but...you're like me, right?"
May was a bit confused for a minute but then she realized what that meant. "You could tell just by looking, huh?"
"Well, uh...no. Long story. Weiss kinda dunked on your cousin, and uh...well..." Kylie rubbed the back of her head.
"Oh...him," May said, sighing, "What did the asshole do to deserve it THIS time?"
"Just be a genuine douche, trying to get free food." Kylie rolled her eyes. "Weiss told him off, though."
"Good. I swear, it's like he has no idea how to read a room," May said, "Thinks the world revolves around him or something."
"But, yeah. I wondered what would make someone outright leave the family, and...now it kinda makes sense." Kylie said. "Sorry if bringing the topic up is kinda outta nowhere."
"No, I get it. I mean...yeah, it is kind of out of left field but, I don't mind," May said, quickly checking one of the boxes contents. More food rations. Good.
"Why would the general just hoard food like this?" Weiss asked.
"No idea," May said, "maybe for the same reason he's got robots guarding it instead of dealing with Grimm packs?"
"The robots are redundant. Especially since the Happy Huntresses are taking care of the Grimm with more efficiency than the robots." Weiss frowned. "I can't believe him..."
"Either way, it's good for us. Means the shelter won't run out anytime soon," May shrugged.
"What was the purpose of this place originally?" Kylie asked. "Why set up in Mantle?"
"Not sure honestly," May said, walking down the rows of boxes, "but it's been here as long as anyone can remember. If I had to guess though, disaster relief."
"Mantle should've been able to have access to these resources a long time ago. Some houses look like they barely get electricity." Kylie said. "This is just hoarding..."
"Definitely. But maybe that was Ironwood's excuse for setting it up down here. But like I said, it's all just guesses," May said.
"There's legit no good reason for this." Weiss frowned. "I'm disappointed."
"You and about most everyone in Mantle," May said, "I'm honestly surprised things haven't hit the breaking point yet..."
Weiss huffed. "I'm sure they will soon..."
Back up front, Oscar had finished moving the boxes he was helping with and dusted his hands off. Robyn looked over at that and turned to Fiona.
"I'll be right back," she said, finishing up one last bundle, "I wanna check something."
Oscar wiped some sweat off his brow. This honestly brought him back home, with the heavy labor. The training was one thing, but...work was work.
"I know that look, Pine Sap."
Oscar perked up and looked over at Robyn. She was sitting on an empty canister of some oil or whatever- Oscar couldn't tell.
"Huh? What look?" Oscar asked.
"That's a look of relief. You're a typical fish out of water in Atlas, aren't you?" Robyn teased. "Typical country kid in a world he doesn't know how to fit into. Now that you're down here, you feel...a weird sense of normalcy."
"...you're certainly hitting a nail on the head." Oscar nodded. "How did you-"
"Because. I was sap once too." Robyn said. "I joined the Atlesian military because I thought I had a chance. The lucky military lottery drawing was my only ticket in. At first, I thought it was weird that I...just couldn't adjust. There was just so much to do up there in Atlas. So many opportunities that Mantle lacked...and, the more and more I spent up there, the angrier I got. Where was this for us? Why were those idiots hogging all the stuff we all needed? And why the hell were they so...quiet?"
"Huh?" Oscar was confused- Atlas was always bustling with activity. It was probably the nosiest place he'd been to.
"Haven't you realized the fact that those snobs don't bring up bigger issues? Like climate change affecting Solitas, the mere existence of an eldritch horror, or the fact that Mantle is suffering? They only watch their backs. There is no 'we' up there. Only an incredibly possessive 'I'." Robyn went on. "They don't care about any of us. I got angrier and angrier and one day, it all exploded. Ironwood tried to lessen the issues that came from my hometown. He wanted me on his side or something. James never really got the message that politics were serious...and he never really learned that till it was too late."
A lot of puzzle pieces were suddenly fitting into place.
"I...see." Oscar nodded.
"Right now, you're in that 'I don't deserve this kind of mindset right now. 'There are millions of others who need to be in my shoes right now. I don't deserve this.'" Robyn said. "Am I still hitting the nail on the head?"
Oscar paused.
Well, Oscar? Ozpin's voice asked. Is she?
Oscar took a deep breath. "...You fell off the track a little bit."
"Huh?"
"I'm here for different reasons, Miss Hill," Oscar said. "And...to be honest, they're complicated. But...I'm doing my part as best I can, even I don't understand it in full."
"Are you talking about the military?" Robyn asked.
"It's something you wouldn't understand if...I told you now. It deserves a massive Powerpoint presentation, and maybe a Q&A." Oscar said.
"That complicated, huh? It's usually never simple," Robyn shook her head, "Any way you can give me the short version, or is it one of those things where there is no short version?"
"...I share my body with the soul of a centuries year old man," Oscar said.
Mentally.
That sounded stupid out loud. Was it right to tell Robyn right now, honestly?
Maybe not. Honestly, it was one of those things that not many people would believe.
"Yeah, it's...probably better if I explain it all. But later," Oscar said, out loud this time.
"Hmm...alright." Robyn hummed. "Y'know, for a kid, you're a bit too wise for your age."
Oscar rubbed the back of his head and chuckled nervously, "I get that a lot." He hoped that little lie would be enough to satisfy her.
"Now, come on. We should do a look around to see if there's any stray Grimm in here." Robyn said.
"Right," Oscar said before he and Robyn did one last sweep for any stragglers that the Knights hadn't found.
"What's your weapon, kid?" Robyn asked, equipping her crossbow.
Oscar brought out the cane and pressed a button on the side, the weapon extending to its full length.
"Huh...weird choice, but...alright," Robyn shrugged.
Oscar and Robyn walked around in silence for a bit, checking in some empty rooms to see if there were some loose Grimm. They thankfully found nothing...but, just because nothing was in this room didn't mean there would be nothing in the next.
Oscar opened up the door to the next room. As soon as light started pouring in, he heard the sound of claws clattering against the stone floor as multiple things started scurrying away to hide in the dark.
Robyn's eyes narrowed, as she loaded an arrow into her crossbow. "Stay close."
"Hey, um...how SMALL can Grimm get?" Oscar said, readying the cane.
"The smallest recorded Grimm was the size of a ladybug. Why?" Robyn asked.
"Ok, gotta ask about THAT later. But...well...let's just say I have a bad feeling here," Oscar turned to look at the shadows, not even noticing shapes scurrying around in the dark, darting between shelves and boxes for cover.
Robyn focused...before she spun around and fired an arrow into a corner, hitting something that squealed loudly.
Oscar turned suddenly to the corner. The arrow that Robyn fired had pinned the tail of a rat-like Grimm to the ground. The Grimm, known simply as a Crawler, was about the size of a normal rat, with white bone plates lining its back and even going down its tail. The rest of its body was covered with thick, black fur. The white bone-mask of the Crawler had panicked eyes as it thrashed about, trying to get free.
"Crawler," Robyn said, eyeing the trapped Grimm, "and where there's one...there's a pack."
"Where do they rank on the threat level? Low, mid, or high?"
"On their own, low. Small packs are mid-tier. Big packs can strip a person down to the bone in seconds."
"Noted," Oscar said, as he kept his cane close to him. "Now...how do we track these things?"
"Like I said, where there's one," Robyn said, but she never got to finish the sentence. As the Crawler thrashed and squealed, more Crawlers started to rush out from the shadows.
Oscar gasped, as he formed the dome around him and Robyn. The Crawlers ran around them, and out the door.
"...that was weird, even for them." Robyn frowned. "They usually will try and eat at flesh any chance they get...they kinda seemed...scared by something. What's going on?"
That's when they heard something. Boxes were knocked over and they heard something hiss at them. They were expecting maybe an Alpha Crawler? What they weren't expecting was a Crawler the size of a Rottweiler with a purple glow shining out from its eyes and purple froth dripping against the stone floor. Each drop sizzled against the stone like acid.
"W-what the hell is that!?" Robyn yelled. "They're not supposed to get that big!"
"Wait...that glow," Oscar said. Why did it seem familiar to him? The Crawler only provided further evidence as it stepped into the flight, its eyes locked on them. Lining its back were four, small, jagged spikes of a purple crystal. It whipped its tail behind it, knocking over more boxes and getting set to charge.
"Oh no...don't let it touch you!" Oscar shouted out.
"What do you mean don't let it touch you!?" Robyn yelled.
Oscar didn't get a chance to answer. The Crawler ran at the two, claws scratching against the stone floor. Without hesitating, Oscar brought up his barrier and tried to extend it just enough so that Robyn was protected as well. The rat slammed into the energy barrier, bouncing off of it. It looked back at Oscar and hissed, showing off that corrupted glow that flowed through its body.
"How is that even HERE?!" Oscar cursed.
Oscar paused. Wait, that's right- Ben and Ruby found some Corrodium at the Dust Mine, near that Plumber base- they say it fell through a 'rift'. Could that same rift be responsible for this!?
"Miss Hill, you need to warn the others. That thing is dangerous. We cannot afford to take it down at close range." Oscar said, his voice becoming more mature.
"What happened to your... never mind, not important right now. You expect me to leave you alone with THAT thing?! Not happening." Robyn said as she got her crossbow ready. She readied her weapon, an arm-mounted crossbow. From the back of the weapon, two stylized extensions shot out and curved forward, resembling wings.
"I wasn't telling you to run. I'm advising you- your aim better be killer today." Oscar said, holding his cane tightly.
Robyn made sure she had a full set of bolts at the ready; they were stored at the back of her weapon, giving her bird-themed weapon its tail.
"The shield. It's one way right? Only keeps things from getting in?"
"There are other ways- Kylie can avoid damage with her gaseous form. Kevin has a multitude of ways to defend himself, as does Min. Weiss can repel them with her Glyphs..." Oscar listed. "What about the other Huntresses?"
"All the staves they use double as crossbows so they've got range down. Outside of that, May can lose it with her stealth, Fiona can launch junk out of the pocket dimension...only one who's in trouble if they're disarmed is Joanna. She's strong, but she never unlocked a Semblance."
"That may be problematic." Oscar frowned. Robyn raised an eyebrow. This kid- it's like he was a whole new person now!
"Lemme guess, that ties into why we can't touch it."
"A whole other story," Oscar said. "Let's just say that this sort of phenomenon is...cosmic."
Oscar and Robyn rounded a corner, to see Joanna, backed into a corner by this thing. Her standard weapon had been chewed up, gnawed on like rawhide. "W-what the fuck is this!?"
"Damn it!" Robyn shouted and took a shot with her normal bolt. The bolt sunk into the Crawler's flesh, making it roar out in pain.
"Joanna, get the HELL away from it!"
Joanna frowned. "Easier said than done!" Joanna was trapped. No way she could get out of that corner without a scratch.
"Then maybe...I should see how well the range is on my semblance." Oscar said as he started to focus. The rat snarled as it pounced at Joanna-
Only for it to smash into a green shield. It bounced off of the barrier, flailing about as it righted itself. While it was flailing, Robyn took the chance to skewer the Grimm with bolt after bolt.
The Grimm screeched, as it scurried off. Joanna slumped against the wall, almost out of breath. "What the hell..."
Oscar picked up his Scroll and called Kevin.
"Howdy." Kevin said casually.
"Kevin! Giant Corrodium Rat! Coming down the hall!" Oscar yelled into the phone.
Kevin's eyes widened, as he started to run. "On it!"
The rat turned a corner right as Kevin slammed down on the faceplate of the AntiTrix. Vines and plant matter started to cover his form. His arms stretched out, reaching to his ankles and his hands now ended in claws. But the claws weren't wooden or thorn-like, rather, they were made of a light purple crystal. Further up his arms, crystals jutted outward from his forearms with vines wrapping around them. The rest of the arm was that same vine-like plant until it got to the shoulders, which now were crystals as well. The arms didn't connect seemingly and instead seemed to wrap around them. Finally, Kevin's head had turned into a pointed dark and light purple crystal with a red visor-like eye that locked onto the mutated Grimm once the flash of red had faded. The Crawler was unimpressed and snarled like it was rabid at Kevin in his new form.
"What, not a fan of Midnight Rider?" Kevin grinned. "Don't worry. You don't gotta look at him too much." Kevin raised his hands, sending out a powerful heat ray from his hands.
The rat leaped up to the ceiling and dug its claws in. It then scurried at Kevin from above, pouncing at him once it had gotten close enough.
Kevin fired another quick heat ray- thankfully, his heat rays didn't burn through the ceiling. If anything, it was just like...a very, very warm laser pointer.
That knocked the rat back, but it quickly rushed back into the fight with a flurry of scratches. Kevin dodged the Grimm's assault, making sure to especially avoid the crystals on its back.
Kylie and Weiss came running around the other corner, as Kylie pulled out her weapon. "Okay, big guy...this should hurt a lot!" Kylie began to fire, hitting one of the rat's legs.
It squealed out in pain as the bullet hit, black smoke rising from the leg. It then turned its back and huffed, launching two of the purple crystalline spines at the two. Weiss quickly used Myrtenaster to summon up a stone barrier to stop the shards. The two purple spines embedded themselves into the stone, but not to any dangerous degree.
Kevin fired a more deadly, concentrated beam of heat. Should this thing even hit human skin, it would cause it to boil in seconds. The rat screeched in agony, as it began to almost melt.
The rat screeched for a while before, eventually, the screeches died down and all that was left was a disgusting, melted mass of purple and black, the last two spines jutting upward.
Kevin took a deep breath. "Okay...it's melted. The thing is..."
Crack.
Kevin opened his single eye. What the hell was that? Kevin looked over to the melted ooze, as the rat started to slowly reform...
It was around then that May and Fiona had joined them, hearing the commotion. They saw the melted sludge of the Crawler slowly turn back into the flesh on its bones, the spines getting back into alignment. Two more purple crystals grew back out of its hide as its jaw reattached to its head.
"...Guess I'm not sleeping tonight," May said.
"I think I'm gonna be sick..." Fiona said, putting a hand over her mouth.
Kevin reverted to human. "Aw, crap-" Kevin said.
The Crawler finished pulling itself back together and shook its body like it was drying itself off. Its eyes then narrowed at Kevin as it sharpened its claws on the floor.
May quickly moved in, forming a forcefield around the group. To the Crawler, Kevin and the group had just disappeared.
"The hell is that!?" Fiona whispered, shaking Kevin.
"Even if I tell you the short version, I feel like you wouldn't believe me," Kevin whispered back.
"...we just saw a fucking rat Grimm the size of a DOG get melted and pull itself back together. We're open to the weirder explanations!" May said quietly.
"...make that the size of a car," Fiona said, pale. Kevin looked over- holy shit, the Crawler was GROWING!
"Of course it'd do that," Kevin sighed.
"So are you gonna explain before we fight the damn rat king over there?" May said, "I'd rather know BEFORE we end up rushing in..."
"It's a Grimm, infected by something called Corrodium. It'll mutate you if it touches you." Kevin explained. "And it's mutated that rat into...that."
"It'll...mutate us? I...do not need that mental image," Fiona said.
"Just use ranged weapons. Anything that doesn't mean almost getting scratched or bit by this rat bastard!" Kevin said, slapping down the AntiTrix.
"R-right. Just...gotta not think about the nightmare scenarios this is gonna make."
"That's the spirit." Kevin, who was now Numb, grinned.
"...when this is over, I am asking you about how you're doing that," May said as she got her staff ready.
"Trust me, it's a long story," Kevin said, "get ready to skewer this thing."
The Crawler was sniffing around for them now, growling in frustration. Kevin turned intangible and left the safety of May's invisibility field. Fiona calmed herself as she and May collapsed their staves into their pure crossbow forms. Fiona aimed and waited for Kevin's signal, whatever that was. The Grimm managed to smell something off and swung its tail around. It would've smacked into Kevin and knocked him into a wall if he wasn't intangible. Instead, the tail just cracked the warehouse's wall.
Kevin slammed his hands down on the ground, forming large spikes of ice on the ground. They stabbed into the Crawler, as it let loose an ear-piercing shriek.
There it was! Fiona and May opened fire, the latter dropping the invisibility field and the former being only a little delayed because of the Grimm's shriek. Bolts pierced the hide of the Crawler, but that only made it angrier. It hissed and tried to free itself of the ice spikes. Tear itself free, break the spikes, it didn't care about the method, just the results.
Kylie and Weiss rounded the corner, as Kylie's jaw dropped.
"THE FUCK IS THAT!?" Kylie yelled, ready to hack it to bits.
"Giant rat Grimm that can spread mutations!" May called out, loading a lightning Dust-tipped bolt into her weapon.
Weiss flicked her weapon, hints of flames surrounding it. "It's best we take care of it before it spreads."
"Was that seriously a plague joke?" Kylie said, throwing her axe at the back of the beast.
The Crawler growled as it brought its tail back around to swat the axe out of the air. The beast managed to free itself from the spikes just enough to rear up on its hind legs and fire out the four spires of Corrodium from its back.
Kylie gasped, as she quickly shot at the projectiles.
Two of the spines shattered in half from the shots but the other simply flew straight. One of them almost hit Fiona but May was able to pull her out of the way.
Fiona let out a relieved sigh after she made sure she wasn't scratched by the spine. Weiss brought up a Glyph shield for the other spines to shatter against. She used the first Dust in Myrtenaster to launch a barrage of fiery arrows at the unusually large rodent. The Crawler's fur burned from each hit, even as the Corrodium spines regrew on its back.
Kylie fired some more shots at the beast, aiming to blind him in the eyes. Kevin froze the bastard's paws, preventing him from escaping.
May fired off the bolt she had loaded in her crossbow. The beast barely had any time to react as it was assaulted from all sides. Bullets flew into its eyes, its body spasmed as lightning coursed through its veins, and its paws were encased in ice, rendering it immobile.
"We've got it RIGHT where we want it!" Doppler yelled.
...they did not, sadly.
The creature let out a roar that shattered the ice around its paws once the electricity had faded from its system. It shook its body like it was brushing off dirt before it flicked its tail against the ground like a whip. Those smaller Crawlers that Oscar and Robyn saw flee earlier? They hadn't left the building.
"...uh oh," Kevin said, as he heard the sound of SOMETHING fast approaching.
The swarm of Crawlers soon appeared behind the Corrodium mutant and surged past it. It was like a sea of vermin rushing towards them all.
"Ok, these guys won't mutate us at least!" Fiona said, noting the lack of purple on the Crawlers. She extended her weapon back into its staff mode.
"Yeah...still gross, though," Kevin said, freezing the ground around himself. Doppler formed some of Black Ice's crystals around his arms. Kevin began shooting sharp diamonds at the numerous Crawlers, hoping to thin the numbers.
The assault pierced through and killed several of the Crawlers instantly, the crystals piercing their bodies. Weiss sent out a wave of fire towards the Crawlers with the same idea in mind, incinerating a number of the rodent Grimm.
Kylie began chopping through the Crawlers as a warm knife does butter. "It's like Trombipular's rats, all over again! Except these don't have a cuteness to fall back on!"
"When are Grimm EVER cute!?" Weiss yelled.
"What are you TALKING about?!" May called out as she swept her staff out and slammed aside a large number of the smaller Crawlers. The big one or Rat King as May had dubbed it, charged at who it assumed would be the weakest prey. Fiona gasped as the giant rat charge her like a rhino and barely dodged out of the way in time.
"HEY! LEAVE HER ALONE!"
Robyn's arrow flew through the air, as it struck the skull of the Crawler.
It screeched as the bolt dug its way into the bone. The monster pawed at the bolt and snapped it in its attempt to get it out. The Rat King turned to Robyn and snarled, eyes locked onto her and getting ready to charge again.
Oscar stepped up, his cane started to charge up with strange green energy. It shaped itself into a sharp arrow, as he flung it at the Creeper- a single blow took part of its leg off.
That hit made the creature tumble and lose its balance.
"Since when could he do THAT?" Fiona asked.
"Think it's Semblance! We'll ask later!" Robyn shouted.
"And who cares!? We need to take care of THIS first!" Kylie's axe flew through the air again, as it quickly cut through another limb.
The giant rat screeched out again, but everyone could see the wounds already starting to seal up.
"Ok, so how do we kill it if it keeps doing THAT?!" May yelled as she loaded in another bolt.
"Yeah, that's starting to get annoying..." Kevin frowned. "Even Midnight Rider couldn't cauterize the wounds..."
"We may need to stall it to bring in Ruby," Kylie suggested. "She's like, our only weapon against it!"
"Maybe not," Weiss said, "ice might be able to work on it."
"How? It can break free each time!" Kevin said.
"Because we haven't been freezing it entirely. The fire didn't work and small amounts of ice only work to slow it down for a moment."
Oscar nodded. "Weiss is right. This could be our only chance!"
"Then, let's go!" Kylie loaded in some ice dust bullets and began shooting the thing in the head.
Frost started covering the rat's skull as it hissed out at them. Fiona and May loaded in ice bolts and fired at the monster's right leg. In a snowy explosion, ice began to encase its leg, freezing it to the spot. The Crawler worked on freeing itself before it felt its tail freeze against the floor, courtesy of Kevin.
Weiss took a deep breath, as she closed her eyes. Glyphs lit the path for her. From what she'd seen today, Weiss needed to finish the job. Some people needed this shelter, more than anything.
Weiss concentrated all of her power into her sword. She stepped on the glyphs and was propelled towards her target. She leaped up, spun in the air...and STABBED into the back of the beast. Frost formed around the wound, giving Weiss a 'safe' spot to land on. A summoning Glyph appeared behind her, the arm of a knight appeared behind her...it had a powerful sword, ready to freeze the bastard solid with a single swing...
"Do it." Weiss said.
The knight arm reared back and swung into the giant Crawler, cleaving into its side. The rat screeched out in pain before ice crept up its body from the wound. In a matter of mere seconds, the Corrodium mutant was turned into an impressive, if ugly, ice sculpture of itself.
Weiss took a deep breath.
"You can shatter this thing if you want. It's not coming back." Weiss said, jumping off the mutant.
With that, the knight arm pushed the blade further into the frozen mutant, cleaving it in half. The two halves fell to the ground and shattered, pieces scattering across the floor.
Robyn smiled a bit. "Well done, Schnee...I'm a bit impressed."
The knight's arm faded away as it was making a motion like it was sheathing the sword. "Thank you," Weiss said as she sheathed her weapon.
"Holy...shit," Fiona huffed after the mutant Grimm had shattered.
"Of all the ways I saw this going...," May began, but never finished the sentence. The rest was obvious given what she'd just seen.
"Yeah. A bit fucked up, isn't it?" Min asked.
"I wouldn't use 'a bit!'" May shot back.
"Listen," Kevin said, taking a deep breath. "We're...in some deep shit right now. We can't say much, but we need help preventing stuff like this from becoming a common thing."
"Give me the short version," Robyn said as she walked up to Kevin. She then held out her hand, like she wanted Kevin to shake it.
Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Uh, alright." Kevin shook her hand- wow, she had an iron grip. "So, here's the thing. We're fucked."
"Explain it. Give me the short version but explain it," Robyn said sternly.
"...Salem teamed up with an alien who's helping her destroy the world," Kevin said.
As soon as the words started to leave Kevin's mouth, Aura appeared around his and Robyn's hands. The pale lilac stayed until Kevin finished the sentence, where the Aura shifted to green.
"...holy shit," Robyn muttered.
"...Fiona, you wouldn't happen to know any-," May began.
"Just because I like Doctor Who doesn't mean I'm an expert on aliens, May. I mean if it's Daleks, we're fucked anyway," Fiona frowned.
"They're not Daleks," Kylie said. "That sounds like a blessing, but they're much worse. It's like an army of Halloween aliens."
"One of them killed my best friend's grandfather." Kevin frowned. "They're not to be dealt with lightly."
Robyn hadn't let go of Kevin's hand, so the Aura went back to lilac. It flashed green again when he finished that.
"So...when you say Halloween aliens..." Joanna began.
"Imagine if ghosts, mummies, and Frankenstein's monsters came from another world. Wouldn't be surprised if zombies and vampires were next," Weiss said.
Robyn blinked. "...so, what, Ironwood wanted to try and rope me back to Atlas to fight aliens?"
"Kind of? I honestly hope you don't have to fight the big ghost in charge-" Kevin began.
"Guy's skull is LITERALLY upside down on his neck." Min chimed in.
"What the fuck?" Joanna asked.
"Anyway...I honestly hope you don't fight him...but Ironwood wants to make amends." Kevin finished.
"...make amends? Seriously?" Robyn pulled her hand back. "Look. Ironwood's concern is about making deals and gaining strength in numbers. Chances are, he sees all of you as expendables."
"Excuse me?" Weiss said, offended at the implications there.
"Armies only care about numbers. Not who you are." Robyn said.
"And yet right now, you and he have a lot in common." Weiss began, "You both want what's best for your people, you want the real issues to be handled, and I know you both NEVER want to see Jacques Gelé on the council."
"Yes, but Ironwood wants what's best for Atlas. Not for Mantle."
"I know it looks like he's been focusing more on Atlas...and he knows it too. It's why he wants to make amends. He doesn't want to pull you back in, he wants to work with you."
"The amends benefit him and not me. It's the fake apology that sells how desperate he is to hold onto his two seats."
"Please...listen," Weiss said, holding her hand out to Robyn.
Robyn sighed. "Fine." Robyn took Weiss's hand.
"Is your father being honest?" Robyn asked.
"Yes," Weiss replied.
...the hand started to turn red.
"...what?" Weiss' eyes widened in shock.
The others began to whisper.
"...I don't think you believe him yourself, kid."
"What? But...that doesn't..." Weiss stammered, trying to understand it.
"There's a part of you that doubts him," Robyn said.
"What? No, I don't doubt him!" Weiss tried to justify. But...did she?
"Listen- I'll help out with taking care of the Grimm and stuff. We can agree, that's bad. But...with Ironwood? Mixed bag."
"That...might be the best we're getting," Kevin said.
Weiss looked back down at her hand, still glowing red.
Why was there this doubt?
After everything had been set up and the rest of the warehouse was secured, the group just needed a break. Weiss was talking with the others about that bit of doubt that Robyn's Semblance had brought up. That...shook her. How could she be doubting him? Oscar didn't want to impose on that. He needed to get them to know all of them better on his own. Knowing them from Ozpin's memories was one thing. Knowing them himself was another.
"...you know, you're still a mystery to me," Robyn said, walking over to Oscar.
The farmboy perked up when he heard Robyn, getting torn away from his thoughts. "O-oh. Yeah, I'm...I'm the biggest outlier huh?"
"Yeah...well, the gun girl is too, but you? You stand out to me the most." Robyn said.
"Just a farmhand who shows up in the big city, one minute barely holding it together, the next acting like a veteran Huntsman. Yeah, I'd be curious, too," Oscar chuckled.
"...shake my hand, Pine Sap," Robyn said, offering her hand. "I need to know if you're telling the truth about that 'old soul'."
"This...isn't you using your Semblance is it?" Oscar chuckled nervously as he took Robyn's hand.
"Yes. I need to know something- who...are you?" Robyn asked.
"Oscar Pine," the farmboy said. This...would be interesting.
Robyn's hand began to flicker between red and green. Robyn looked up at Oscar, then back at her hand.
"...never done that before."
"Yeaaaaah, it's um...it's complicated," Oscar admitted. "But...it's half true?"
"...at this point, I'm just gonna pop a bottle of gin open and just try to make sense of it later." Robyn huffed.
"Yeah, that might help."
"Anyways...thanks for your help with all this. Know I kinda exposed you at the start, but...I don't need to shake your hands to know you all did this in earnest." Robyn said.
'Thanks," Oscar said. At least she truly trusted them, even if she didn't trust Ironwood. Small steps, though.
Oscar regrouped with the others, who were still on the topic of Weiss' doubt.
"Maybe it's...just cuz of Jacques?" Min suggested.
"I...maybe? That has been in the back of my mind all day," Weiss said.
"I'd say that's a good answer." Kevin shrugged. "You seem like the type of person who wouldn't have any doubts with your dad."
"It has to be," Weiss said. She sighed in relief. It was certainly reassuring on that front.
"Let's just go back to base and report the corrodium sighting," Min said.
"Right."
After arriving back in Atlas, the group walked the halls back to Ironwood's slowly. They made sure no one was around when they spoke since...well, it'd be better if no one else heard them.
"So," Kevin said quietly, "what are we telling him?"
"Easy. We tell him the truth," Min said, "We just...need to leave out some details."
"...like how we broke into an old base?" Kylie asked. "That could get us in trouble."
"Yeah. We just leave out the parts that'll get us thrown in the brig."
"We just say we patrolled the city," Oscar said. "And failed to convince her."
"You what?"
The group froze, as Harriet rounded a corner. "Repeat that last part..."
"Oh! Harriet, uh...hey," Kylie said nervously. Oh, this wasn't good.
"I'm waiting. Repeat that last part," Harriet said, crossing her arms.
"We...failed to convince Robyn and the Happy Huntresses," Weiss explained.
Harriet huffed. "Great...here we were, thinking you kids could convince her...and you come back empty-handed."
"Not entirely," Weiss countered.
"Oh, I can't wait to hear this one," Harriet shook her head.
"We encountered a Corrodium mutated Grimm. That's what made Robyn back out." Oscar said, putting on his best fake Ozpin voice. "She would've been on our side...had it not been for something that nearly mutated her team. Surely, you can empathize with THAT."
That did get Harriet's attention. "Corrodium? In MANTLE?"
"One of those rats. Crawlers, if I remember correctly," Weiss said, "It had spikes of the mineral growing out of its back...and it was able to regenerate."
"...Ok, so not empty-handed," Harriet admitted.
"If anything, she was more focused on gathering the means of defending Mantle from the attacks," Min said. "We managed to destroy what we could. The beast managed to get into a few abandoned buildings, but...we took care of it. Weiss finished it off."
"If Corrodium got into Mantle...and as the reports say, the mutations can spread...did you find the Corrodium itself?" Harriet asked.
"Yep. Disposed of it, as best we could." Min said. "You're lucky my magic can just erase it like nothing."
"Good. Shit, the security breach that could've led to," Harriet muttered.
"Yeah. Well, the general should probably hear about this too," Kevin said.
"What? Oh, yes. Absolutely," Harriet nodded and walked off to do...whatever she did in her free time. None of them knew.
Kylie sighed in relief. "Oh, God...my heart was kinda pounding there..."
"What, never lied before?" Min asked.
"Plenty of times. If she turned the corner just a few seconds too early..." Kylie said.
"...she would've exploded," Weiss finished. Given everything they knew about her when it came to her job...that would have ended poorly.
"She's way too intense. Like, if Blonko went alllllll in." Kevin said.
"That is not something I wanna imagine," Min said before they continued to Ironwood.
Ironwood was busy in his office, writing something down on a paper. He handed it to Winter. "Make sure that gets to Clover." He said as he folded it.
"Of course," Winter said as she took the paper. She was curious as to what it was, but she was able to keep that curiosity under wraps for now. It was around then that the doors to his office slid open and Weiss' group walked in.
"Ah, welcome back," Ironwood said. "How did the mission go?"
"...so, few left turns here and there," Kylie said nervously.
"Go on," Ironwood said. No one could exactly place the tone in his voice, if he was expecting bad news or not.
"So, Robyn turned down the partnership," Weiss said, stepping forward. "She...agrees, yes, that Jacques is pretty bad, but...she said you've neglected Mantle."
Ironwood sighed, bringing a hand up to his face. "She's not wrong...but I was hoping she'd see my sincerity here. Did she shake hands with any of you?"
"Yeah. We gave her...some loophole answers. We only answered truthfully for...the big thing." Kevin said.
"I see," Ironwood said, "Maybe I should..." he started sifting through some papers, looking over the details.
"Hm...this wouldn't push it back too much I think," the general muttered to himself. Winter took a glance at the form he was holding as well.
"Divert them to repairs? I have heard complaints about the defense walls for Mantle," Winter suggested.
"Should work to sway her opinion. Won't be enough but it's a start."
"Yeah...we need to reinforce those walls. And amp up the surveillance there in the more populated areas." Min said. "Cuz, that brings us to...part 2."
"...part 2?"
"We encountered...one of the Corrodium mutants. In Mantle," Weiss said.
"What?!" Ironwood asked, almost jumping out of his chair right then and there.
"We don't know they got there. We disposed of it, of course." Kevin said. "We handled it before it could attack civilians."
"Oh thank god," the general sighed.
"That just raises more concerns about Mantle's security," Winter added.
"And we'll take care of that," Ironwood said. "We'll deploy drones to the area tomorrow."
"...what?"
"To survey the area, of course."
"...wouldn't it help to have people down there?" Kevin asked.
"It would," Ironwood admitted, "but it would also send the wrong signal. Some people might see a more active military presence in an...understandably negative light."
"I think sending drones sends a worse one," Min said. "Just saying."
"It's not ideal, I know. But given the circumstances," Ironwood began. He didn't need to finish it; everyone knew it would be an even worse move to just do nothing. It would only cement the fact that he's neglecting the city.
Weiss frowned a tiny bit. "Well...alright." Weiss sighed. "We better write up our reports and get to bed."
"Yeah," Min sighed. Hopefully, it wouldn't take hours to write up.
"Have them done by tomorrow," Ironwood said. "Go rest up."
Min was honestly relieved at that. A little more time was always nice. With that, the group made their way back to their rooms. When the doors slid closed again, Ironwood turned to Winter.
"When do you think we should tell them?" Ironwood asked.
"About what, exactly?" Winter asked.
"This," Ironwood held up the form, the words at the top of it read "Amity Project."
"Hm. Soon..." Winter said.
"When we do, hopefully, they understand the secrecy around it," Ironwood said, putting the form down. It was just the latest in resource and acquisition papers, all directed towards the Amity Project.
"Of course...as well as the...other project," Winter said. "Miss North seems incredibly adamant about that."
"Of course. But...that one's best told when it's completed, I think," the general said, "Although...come to think of it, she should be 75% done as of...right now."
In one of Atlas' science facilities, sparks flew as a man diligently worked on his project. With a few finishing touches and the implantation of a grey microchip with a green emblem, the man placed a metal plate over the circuitry and nodded in satisfaction. With that, he walked over to one of the nearby computers, each step clanking against the metal floor of the lab, though he preferred the term "workshop". He began checking over a wireframe blueprint of what seemed to be a small, compact backpack.
The sword that he had just put down beeped steadily, like it was waiting for a connection, making the green power symbol at the middle of the bronze hilt light up.
Ceres walked over, some revisions written on some blueprints. "I took a look at some of the schematics for the defense systems...as well as adding in a greater tolerance for...pyrokinetic attacks."
"Good," the man said, "I'm almost done recalibrating her weapon. The backpack is almost complete as well. Once it's finished, the blades can be connected via cable and it'll be good to go." He smiled, knowing they were so close to completion. But...he wasn't blind to the bigger issue in the room. He turned to Ceres, a series of clanks echoing in the lab.
"You're worried, aren't you?" he said.
"It...feels wrong of me to be doing this, honestly." Ceres huffed. "I don't deserve to be around her anymore..."
"You know I don't blame you for what happened. She won't either. Doing this, helping me bring her back? It shows you care. It shows that she managed to accomplish what she set out to do."
"Right..." Ceres nodded. "Sorry for the doubts, Mr. Polendina."
"It's fine," Pietro said warmly. He was about to continue when the computer beeped, showing that the backpack was finished.
"Ah, and now we have our hub." Pietro began typing away at the computer, putting in commands and making sure everything was ready. It wouldn't be long now…
Kylie sat on her bed, a blanket covering her legs and her laptop in her...lap. Her TV was playing some random classical music to help her 'focus'. Her fingers quickly typed away at her laptop. She had an 'every day writing goal'- the girl had to churn out at least a thousand words. Stupid, right? Turning what should be a fun fanfic writing session into...a school essay.
...not that Kylie focused on writing. Her attention span outside of the battlefield was...lackluster. For example- a moment ago, she was writing about Bount Rex. Yes, Rex was a Bount. Why? Because it worked. Shut up. Bount Rex had used a weapon similar to Blaster Caster to fight against Arrancar Cass. She wanted to use a word better than...whip.
So, into Google she went, looking up "whip synonyms". There were some good ones...lash, scourge...thong? What the fuck? Thong? That word did NOT belong...right?
...so Kylie had fallen into a rabbit hole of looking up naughty words with originally different meanings. As for writing?
Eh, she'd probably stretch out the sentences. It always helped in making her feel as if she accomplished something big today when she just saw a fat chunk of words.
Kylie stretched her fingers and yawned- four hundred and sixty-six more words for the day and she should be good. She yawned, as laid her head back against her wall. What to write next...
She sat there for a few more moments, just as there was a knock at her door. Kylie perked up and got out of her bed. She strolled on over to the door and peeped out the eyehole. Weiss was standing there, in her cute white nightgown. Kylie was confused as to why she was here, but she didn't mind having a late-night visit.
(10 PM was late to Kylie.)
Kylie opened the door. "Uh, hey," Weiss said, rubbing her arm. She looked nervous. "Got a moment to talk?"
Kylie looked back over to her laptop. "Uh, sure. Come on in," Kylie said, opening the door a little wider. Weiss walked in and plopped on Kylie's bed. Immediately, Kylie could tell something was up. She shook her head and walked on over to Weiss.
"Robyn's words still sticking with you?" Kylie asked, closing her laptop.
"You know it." Weiss huffed. "...when I was younger, Jacques purposely manipulated me and my siblings to think Atlas WAS our world. We shouldn't have to set a foot off this city, he said. We're in paradise...of course, there's always trouble in paradise."
"I know how you feel, Weiss." Kylie put her laptop back on her work desk. "I've...kind of been in that situation before."
"...Anna and Sienna did that to you?" Weiss asked, feeling a bit betrayed.
"Oh, no no no...long, LONG story." Kylie blushed. "Let's just focus on you-"
Weiss raised an eyebrow but shook her head. "Anyways...after the messy divorce, my mom decided to let me live a little. Started to teach me to be a huntress, signed me up for the camp, let me watch stuff besides the probably censored and watered-down news...but even then, I still felt a little...caged, you know? I know it's been years since I've seen his stupid face, but...I still feel Jacques' grasp on me. I have all these issues and problems drilled into my head, These...unconscious biases that I've always thought normal until today."
"...wow, Robyn got to you," Kylie said, a bit shocked. "So...you need my advice?"
"Well, I have one question."
"Shoot."
"...should I ditch the riches?"
Kylie blinked. "...huh?" Kylie had never really seen Weiss for her money or anything like that. It was convenient to have a friend that could pay for a lot of stuff, but even then, that was for like. Food and occasional shopping sprees.
"I don't really...want the life of luxury anymore," Weiss said. "I've already lived that boring life and I'm glad I escaped it. Plus, I don't think I could bear to go through the rousing Atlas politics of 'oh, he said she said anymore. I don't see myself living in a fancy mansion, just...a normal house in the suburbs somewhere. Maybe in Bellwood, that place seems nice..."
"Well, in that case-"
"With you."
Kylie's brain froze.
Kylie spluttered. "I-I'm there for, like, splitting the rent, right?"
"Nope," Weiss smirked.
"...staying until I get on my feet?"
"Nope."
"...then why-"
"Because we'd be dating, you dolt! Maybe married in the future, I dunno. My maladaptive daydream isn't that thoroughly planned out yet."
Kylie's face flushed red. "W-why so straightforward?! I'm the straightforward one!" She stammered.
Weiss gave Kylie a look. "You are the furthest thing from straight."
"F-fair, but...why us?" Kylie asked.
"I dunno. I just know a lot of 'best friend' pairings work. I mean, you've seen how Ben and Ruby worked out, you've seen how Blake and Yang worked out..." Weiss listed off. "I dunno."
Kylie's face remained red. "...a-are you asking me out?"
"I wasn't, but I can," Weiss said. "Do you wanna go out?"
Kylie fainted then and there.
pls forgive me
