Chapter 43 – Grimmlands: Jailbreak
Cover Art: Mi Chumi
Chapter Beta: ZoroEpsilon (check out their story too)
[A/N] Hold on to your Semblance folks, gonna be a wild ride.
Vacuo-1 has never been so crowded, thought Garek as the so-named Bullhead entered Vacuo's airspace. He peered around at the team that they had assembled.
Up front were his pilot and copilot.
Reggie, pilot, and CEO of BAST security consultants, sat in the lefthand seat. The man's prematurely graying hair made him look older and more seasoned than he was, but that wasn't the only reason he was the trusted voice for planning any sort of field operation. When Garek looked his direction, the man was cool and collected, only speaking to Crys from time to time to provide guidance on some esoteric aspecct of Bullhead piloting.
Crys, copilot, Reggie's first employee, and former Mistralian bandit sat to his right. While she was now certified for takeoff and landing, she preferred to let Reggie handle it in a busy airport like Vacuo's. She could easily navigate and aviate so that Reggie could take breaks on long flights, which was the important thing. And she now an integral part of Reggie's work in Mistral. She was clearly nervous and a little shaky from the prior week's encounter with, and absorption of, the Spring Maiden's powers and then being left to the tender mercies of the Branwen Tribe. Garek was worried about putting her under more stress so soon, but felt he had little choice. They needed everyone for this little gambit, and Raven had demanded her presence.
And there was the support team in the passenger/cargo hold, in case things got ugly at some point.
That was himself, one-time Huntsman and now… gods knew what he was now. That realization shocked him. In many ways, he was the leader of the mission, mostly because Raven had refused to take any responsibility for anyone but herself.
He glanced at his old friend Rhodes and got a grin and a thumbs up. Rhodes was fully employed by Reggie through BAST and had begun training in mixed-team operations at Reggie's insistence, combining Huntsman and Specialist tactics. Reggie said he was coming along fast, and frankly, Garek was glad to get him out of solo fieldwork. Rhodes acted like he'd done this all his life. But that was Iron Man. Always putting up a front like he was tough as nails. You never knew what was going on behind the scenes unless you got a beer or two in him, and then he might end up blubbering on your shoulder.
And, of course, the aforementioned Raven Branwen. Bandit Tribe Chieftain, exceptionally powerful former Huntress, with a Semblance that was the key to this entire insane plan working. She was sitting in the side seat, scowling the entire time, mostly because she didn't want to be there. She'd argued that she could just wait at the Branwen Camp until they arrived at the Vacuo staging base, then port in to Vernal, but he'd insisted that she come along for the ride so they could go over contingencies in case anything went wrong on the way. She glared at him once more, for effect, when he caught her eye.
Swear to the gods, that woman has practiced that damn glare in the mirror, he groused.
And he'd have a fourth support member once they got to Vacuo Airport, Selene's father, Forrest Stonecrop. That man was a veteran Huntsman and could probably take on an Ursa single-handedly. Garek was glad to have his experienced eye on the team too.
Between the four of them, they should be able to handle things if the Grimm turned into a problem either at the staging area, or on the other side of the portal. At least long enough to get the rest out, but it would mean completely botching Plan A, which was to make the rescue look like a crime of opportunity, rather than planned sabotage.
Which left the Extraction Team.
Garek took the opportunity to give his fiancée Selene, Grimmling in disguise, a squeeze with his right arm. She's probably the most dangerous creature in Remnant, he mused. More dangerous than Raven Branwen. Not for what she could do, but for what Salem would do to everyone within a hundred kilometers if Selene got herself killed in this crazy venture. But she was also the only creature that could safely get the Extraction Team in and out of the prison without causing a shitstorm.
Sticking close to Selene was their all-but-adopted teenage daughter, Cinder, with her own unusually dangerous Semblance, that was apparently perfectly suited to hide a bit of sabotage to any sort of machine that used any sort of power. At least that was the theory. She had started this mission nearly bouncing off the walls with excitement, and ended it frustrated enough to want to burn a hole in the side of the Bullhead and push someone out of it.
Which led to the third member of the Extraction Team, Vernal. Foul mouth, bad attitude, and arrogant as fuck. She and Cinder had been driving each other and the rest of the Bullhead occupants nuts off and on since she'd arrived in Argus, including the entire flight. The only thing that had finally toned her down was Raven threatening to shove Vernal out the rear cargo hatch after knocking the shit out of her, and for once Selene had not objected to the violence threatened at a child… but only after everything else had failed. Selene had even lost her patience with Cinder, leaving their teenager grumbling quietly about it not being her fault that Vernal was such a bitch.
It was a significant relief when they landed at Vacuo Airport just long enough to refuel, log the fact that their craft was indeed registered to Vacuo Express Transport and here for an annual inspection appointment in a few days, and for Forrest to board and head to the cockpit to guide them the rest of the way. They also used the opportunity to send a quick 'all clear' to Pete and Sophia, who were holding down the fort at TLH HQ back in Argus. Within minutes they were headed northeast to the jungles along the Sanus Coast, back to the same staging area that Forrest had scoped out previously.
After arriving, base camp went up quickly. Forrest and Rhodes worked as a two-man team, patrolling the areas nearby with Garek as backup, while the others set up a defensible perimeter and camp around the Bullhead, including setting up electronic intrusion monitors, courtesy of BAST and Sophia's Gazelle Communications.
Well, except for Raven, who stood with crossed arms, glaring at the foliage the entire time. Garek was surprised the jungle didn't wilt under the force of it.
It was late in the evening when Blackfeather finally arrived from the sea, having remembered the location from Selene's prior scouting attempt.
It was a measure of how long most of them had worked together that the appearance of a large Nevermore at their campsite shocked exactly no one besides Vernal and Raven. Vernal was the only one that showed any real fear. Raven just glared harder and spat on the ground in its general direction.
They rested that night, especially the Extraction Team, who intended to enter the Grimmlands the next evening under the cover of darkness since they'd need at least 8-9 hours for the round trip, and that was if everything went right. A night-time transit wouldn't prevent Grimm from spotting them, but it might avoid accidental encounters with human craft or the Queen's human agents.
The night passed quietly, mostly because Selene had instructed any local Grimm to avoid the campsite. But they still kept a staggered patrol in case bandits or others showed an interest.
The next evening, Selene and Garek clung to each other for several minutes before she mounted Blackfeather. They were both putting up a good front but could feel the other's tension.
"Be safe, Selene. Come back to me," Garek demanded as she climbed the Nevermore. He turned to Cinder and hugged her just as hard. "And you too, kiddo." He leaned closer. "Try not to let Vernal get to you. It's gonna be a rough ride enough without you two going at it."
Cinder sighed. "Okay dad. I'll try. But she's-"
"I know." And really, I doubt either of you will be in any condition for it within fifteen minutes of take-off, he mused.
As he released Cinder so she could climb up behind Selene, he caught Vernal looking at him. "Swear to the gods," Vernal warned, "if you try to hug me, I'll cut your dick off." And then muttered something about weaklings.
But Garek saw the way her legs shook as she climbed up Blackfeather for her first ever ride on a Grimm. He couldn't help but think evil thoughts at how much she was going to hate the ride.
And then he watched two-thirds of his family dwindle in the distance and prayed that this whole operation was worth it.
The two girls didn't make it five minutes without starting a fight over which one was the whiniest bitch and would throw up first.
Within ten minutes, they were too busy getting sick as hell to argue about it.
Selene bore it with stoicism until, in the darkness, they approached the Grimmlands coastline. Then her fear began to gnaw at her.
What instructions…? What explicit instructions had the Queen given to the Grimm who guarded the borders of her realm? She wondered. The specific wording and intent mattered.
She suspected it was to report intruders, and she very heavily suspected that she was not included in that category. Otherwise, she would likely have been reported after her last trip to the prison. Yes, that seemed a reasonable supposition.
Instead, it was very likely that airborne Grimm would react immediately to an airship, but not to a Nevermore, regardless of its passengers.
Still… unlikely is not zero. So, she avoided anything that looked like a Grimm, on land or in the air.
At least the two teens were too miserable to worry about a little thing like being ripped from Blackfeather's back and torn to shreds by other Grimm.
Selene was terrified enough at the prospect for all three of them.
Finally, after several hours of flight with Cinder and Vernal having completely emptied their stomachs, the very faint glow of the prison's barred windows loomed ahead in the darkness. She brought Blackfeather down as close to the door as possible, feeling the sick twist in her guts as they passed what she believed was an Aura barrier. A gasp from Cinder told her she felt it as well. Vernal just cursed.
And nothing attacked them.
"Thank the gods." She muttered. Though it felt ironic to thank the beings who had cursed humanity with this war in the first place. She quickly dismounted, leaving the others to fall from their seating as best they could, and knocked sharply on the door.
And Visha was there, backlit by the interior lights and beckoning all three quickly inside, where the two girls continued to retch for some minutes.
"Thank the darkness, you made it safely. And don't worry about the mess, I'll clean it up." The spry old woman led them to the common lounge and provided the girls with glasses of water and a small bucket, "Here, rinse your mouth out. I'll bring our other guest out here too, after I've cleaned up." She gave Selene a brief hug and returned to the entryway.
It was only a half hour before the youngsters had recovered. Visha had finished cleaning up their mess, and she escorted Summer Rose, without her helmet, to the galley.
The woman looked dazed and disbelieving, and gasped when she saw Selene. She might have stumbled if not for Visha's steadying hand on her arm. "Visha told me, but… I still can't believe this is happening." She staggered over to Selene, nearly tripping several times, and embraced the daughter of her captor warmly. "You came back for me…" she whispered in awe. "I'm going to see my babies again." Selene could feel her shoulder become damp where Summer's face rested against it.
Selene embraced her back. "We have not found nor disabled the machine yet." She murmured back. "But we will succeed, regardless. I have the right team for it." Summer pulled back and Selene gestured to the two girls.
"So… young…" Summer muttered.
"Young, and light enough to be carried by the Nevermore who also bore me. But also skilled. Cinder is my… well she is essentially my adopted daughter," Cinder gave Selene a bright smile, and she continued, "and she has a powerful Semblance that will be important to our effort." She pointed to the other girl scowling at life in general. "And Vernal is extremely skilled in getting past locks, I have been assured by Raven that she will have no trouble getting into any location we wish." That earned a slight blush and a huff from the teen.
Summer paused. "Raven… how is she?"
"She is well and awaits our success…" Selene paused. "You know of her… career?"
"Pfft." Summer scoffed. "Career, that's putting it nicely. "
"Oy. Fuck you," Vernal objected.
"Watch it, potty mouth," Summer threatened, "or I'll tell Raven you kicked my puppy."
"Vernal, you were given instructions regarding Miss Rose," Selene warned.
"Fuck! Fine. Sorry, Ok? Can we get on with it? This place gives me the creeps." She flicked her gaze at the barred windows and the blasted landscape outside.
Cinder grimaced and nodded. "I gotta agree with bitchface, this place sucks."
"Only bitchface here is you, bitchface," Vernal retorted.
"Cinder!" Selene scolded. "Do not bait Vernal!"
"Sorry, mom," Cinder said.
"And Vernal—"
"Yeah, yeah… 'can it, Vernal'." She spat on the floor, which earned her a one-eyed glare from Summer.
And to Selene's shock, Vernal paled under that gaze, grabbed a towel and wiped it up.
Apparently, Raven had been very forceful about not pissing Summer off.
Selene sighed. "Fine, let us get to it." She gestured to Summer and Visha. "Make any preparations you need here. Remember, the masquerade is that the machine failed unexpectedly, Raven opened a portal to Summer, someone overpowered Visha and removed both from the prison. You may take anything that will fit with this scenario. Visha, you may take anything that would not be missed if your quarters were examined. Be cautious, however." She rubbed her left arm with her right hand. "I will take Cinder and Vernal, and we will begin seeking this device. Join us when you are ready."
The two nodded and separated to their living quarters / cells, and the three-person Extraction Team made their way to the side door just off the entry.
Selene was pleased to see Vernal shift to a very no-nonsense mode, unrolling a set of metal tools and small mirrors on long handles.
"Looks like a basic lock," Vernal said, nodding at the mechanism. "Shouldn't be a problem, but…" She slid an angled mirror under the door, lay down, and peered into it. "There's light on the other side. Can't see any wires or anything connected on that side. Looks like a regular old deadbolt." She returned to her knees, and spat on the floor, then scowled. Selene chose not to comment. "Take me five minutes to get this open. Dunno about the next one we come to." She frowned and shook her head. "Lemme check one more thing." She spent some time peering along where the door met the frame and poking around in the lock mechanism. "Nope, no nasty surprises. I mean, there could be an electronic contact or something." She peered around. "But this place doesn't look all that high-tech."
"Very well, we will trust your skill," and the faint praise seemed to bolster the girl further.
True to her word, the lock shifted in less than four minutes under her deft application of lockpicks, and the door swung open. No alarms sounded. An examination of the frame revealed no electronic contacts.
The room beyond was large. Large enough for a wyvern to enter or leave. It made them nervous, until they realized that the metallic skid marks on the floor made it much more likely that it was actually a makeshift garage for a small bullhead. Likely it was how Watts travelled here when he wished to work at this location. There was also a staircase leading downward, and at the end of that another locked door, which Vernal examined just as carefully as the first.
And like the first, it was unlocked and opened in only a few minutes. "Gonna be the easiest job ever," Vernal said. "'cept for the shitty ride in."
"Well, you will be pleased to know you will not be riding out that way, if everything goes according to our plans."
"Right. Fuck, that sucked. How the hell do you do that all the time?"
"You become used to it."
"I hella don't."
"I meant-"
"I got it."
Selene sighed, and they continued through the door, where the corridor became more modern. There were unlocked doors alternating along the corridor, many standing open. Several of them contained storage shelving and workbenches. One had a smattering of weapons set out on the surfaces, some disassembled, with a variety of tools neatly arranged around them.
The final door was likewise unlocked, and they could feel a thrumming sound in their bones coming from beyond it.
This must be where the device is kept, Selene thought, excitement at successfully finding it warring with trepidation over how complex it might be.
She took a deep breath and slowly opened the door to find…
A modest room. In one corner was a machine that quietly hummed and glowed. It had what looked like a dust reservoir on top of it, with a control panel mounted in front. And from it, thick cables ran to second, larger machine that stood in the middle of the floor.
That device was uncanny. The base was fully mechanical, but the upper portion looked like a strange mix of machine framework with an almost organic pitch-black and pulsating material in the interior. And it gave off a light that felt barely visible and made their eyes ache if they looked directly at it.
Selene realized, as she cautiously moved closer, that she could feel her Aura gently draining.
"Ugh. Fuck that," Vernal said. "Imma wait out here in the hall. I think I did my part."
Selene nodded and addressed the other girl. "Cinder, will you assist me in examining this?" Selene turned to find that Cinder was clearly in distress as well. She had not stepped more than two feet into the room.
I may have some immunity due to my nature, Selene mused. "Perhaps you should step back, and I will examine it and bring you photos to review."
Cinder nodded mutely, golden-yellow eyes wide and face pale, and retreated further back into the corridor.
Selene spent a few minutes taking photos of the entire system. The light felt like it made her brain itch, and she lost almost 3% of her Aura before exiting, but apparently the device did not impact her as significantly as the pure humans.
When she returned to the hall, Summer and Visha had joined them from upstairs, though Summer had stepped into the side room with the weapons in it. Selene went to her and found her holding an ornate Mechashift axe as if it were something familiar.
"Sundered Rose…" Summer breathed.
"Your weapon?" Selene asked and received a nod. She frowned. "Summer, we can't… it must look like a hasty escape after the machine failed. If you retrieve your weapon from here…."
"Oh…" Summer said sadly as realization dawned. "Yeah… I… drat." She sighed and set it down gently. "I can make her again, if I have to. It just feels like leaving an old friend behind."
"She will understand, if it means your safety." Selene squeezed Summer's shoulder. "I need you to assist me an analyzing these photos, looking for a weak spot for Cinder to attack with her Semblance. Please, come."
They returned to the hallway, and it was only then that Selene noticed the bloodstained bandage on Visha's left hand. "What… what has happened?!"
Summer looked grieved.
"It was my insistence, Selene," Visha said, her voice slightly pained. "Summer sacrificed an eye, unwillingly. Old Visha gave up a finger, to make her escape look more forced." She smiled through the ache. "It hurts more'n I expected, but this tough old woman will survive."
"Visha…." Selene hugged her, careful not to jostle her hand. "You need not have-"
"I will do my part, young Selene. You won't be the only one to sacrifice."
"Very well…" She released her. "But have care. If you feel weakened, tell us."
Summer and Selene considered the machine again, just outside the room. Summer glared at it. "There's an underlying feeling. It reminds me of something. Something familiar. Something I don't like at all."
"Cinder, when the time comes, will you be able to deal with… the effects of this device?"
Cinder frowned "It… it felt like my skin was bubbling when I got close, but…" she stared at Selene for a moment. "I don't look burned. You know I've felt worse, Selene." Cinder fingered the half-heart pendant and its chain around her throat. "I can do it." She tilted her chin, daring Selene to doubt her.
"I believe in you, Cinder, but do not harm yourself. Do you understand? If we must, we will find another way."
"The machine in the corner is a dust-powered generator, that's powering the B-U-T-T." Summer grinned. "Big Ugly Thing There", she added by explanation. She pointed to the photos of the cables. "And that smaller box there, that looks like a sort of energy converter. I'm gonna bet that it's changing the power of the generator to something the BUTT can use."
"You believe this to be our area of attack?"
"Yeah. Mess with the generator, and it's likely to blow up on us. Not good. Mess with the machine and I don't know what the heck that thing's gonna do." Summer pointed to the box. "But a converter like that? I bet it's already generating heat, cause those things are never perfectly efficient. And I'd also bet the generator has a failsafe to shut down if it shorts out or fails. It's the safest and most believable weak point."
"Very well, we will do as you suggest. Cinder, are you ready?"
"Yeah. I can do this. Just a little direct heat, right underneath it, until it fries. It'll look like it scorched the floor, not the other way around." Cinder's hands worked as she ran through what she would do, how it would feel with her Semblance.
"Very well. I will stay with you. Summer and Vernal, remain in the hall to remove us if need be. Visha, you should stay further back." She gestured. "Remember, our goals are threefold. When the machine halts, Raven will soon make her portal to Summer or Vernal. Then I will leave through the upper doors to return to Base Camp on Blackfeather. Visha will lock the front door behind me and return to you. Then Vernal will lock the other doors from the inside, and you will use Raven's portal to go directly to her. I will join you within hours." She scanned the group. "We will leave them nothing but a failed machine and locked doors. Are we understood?"
The other women present all nodded.
"And what if… we can't disable the machine?" Summer asked.
"Then I will risk ferrying you back to Vacuo one at a time on Blackfeather, saving Summer for last. I will not leave anyone here. Not now. But that will risk detection and attack."
"Okay. Let's do it," Cinder gave a curt nod. "I'm ready."
Selene re-entered the room, moved over to the corner near the small box, and waited for Cinder. She could tell it was difficult for the teen. As soon as Cinder got within a few meters of the machine, she started gritting her teeth and her brow furrowed as if her head hurt. But she didn't stop, and soon knelt next to the box, hands on either side of it.
Within a few moments, the floor under the box began to discolor under Scorching Caress.
Selene held her breath, watching Cinder's face as she concentrated.
And then, with a pop, the box flared suddenly.
And the generator immediately cut off.
Every light in the laboratory failed at once, and there was the sound, a very unpleasant liquid sound, from the middle of the room Selene and Cinder were in.
Oh no, it was powering the entire facility…
Selene heard Vernal yell "Fuck!" and Summer growled in frustration.
Must things go wrong so soon!?
And then a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over them as an inhuman scream filled their ears, and at the same time emergency lights, probably battery-based, flickered on, bathing the scene in red light.
"APATHY!" Summer screamed and bolted away from the doorway. Vernal was backing away as well, eyes wide and legs shaking.
A single Apathy should not have been able to cause such a reaction. But the creature worming its way out of the metal-framed machine was unfolding itself to be at least three times larger than any Apathy that Selene had ever seen. Its hunched and vaguely humanoid form had been contorted by its containment, and it was slowly assuming its natural shape.
And it was staring at Cinder and Selene with glowing red eyes from skull-like eye sockets.
Selene turned to see that Cinder was still on her knees, slowly collapsing, eyes drooping.
"No! You will not!" Selene yelled, and picked Cinder up bodily, throwing her with all her strength through the doorway, eliciting a yelp from the teen. "Take her!" She ordered to anyone who would or could listen. Then she turned back to face the Grimm. "You will cease this! Immediately!" she ordered.
There was a moment when she dared hope it would work. A brief pause. And then the Apathy's eyes flared redder, and it screamed directly at her, maintaining eye contact.
Even with her half-Grimm nature, she could feel the soul-sapping impact. It had to be an Alpha of some sort. And it had clearly been given specific instructions by the Queen long before any orders regarding Selene's existence or safety had been spread among the Queen's servants.
It would neither obey nor spare her.
She grabbed her staff from her back and bolted toward the doorway, placing her own body between the Grimm and the way out. "Run!" She cried to the others, and turned her back on them, facing the Grimm before her despite shaking knees.
Far behind her, she heard a hissing, tearing sound, followed by cursing. "What the fuck!" Raven's voice yelled through the portal.
"Get them through the portal!" Selene screamed, as she forced herself past the will-draining effects. The creature opened its mouth again to scream, and she found the strength to charge forward, and rammed the butt of her staff directly into its throat. Instead of a screech, it made an angry gurgle, and brought one huge claw around to rake across her chest.
Selene screamed in pain and rage as it tore large chunks loose from her Aura. We are so close. They must get away. They must get away without evidence!
She felt heat behind her back and heard Cinder yelling her name. "No Cinder! No fire damage!" She managed to yell, stepping carefully backward, and heard Cinder curse behind her as the heat faded. "Draw back to the portal! We'll lure it through if we must!"
"The fuck you will!" Raven yelled.
"Raven!" She was still moving backward, toward the portal, drawing the Alpha Apathy forward. "It is our only chance!"
"Where the fuck is Summer, dammit!?" Raven screamed.
Selene didn't even understand the question. Summer was behind her! In the corridor.
Wasn't she?
And then there was the sound of gunfire from behind her. She glanced back to see that Rhodes and Crys had stepped up to the portal, and were firing fire dust rounds into the tall Grimm over her head. It was clearly having an effect, but it wasn't enough to stop it.
Selene took another blow from the Grimm, knocking her backward another few meters even though she blocked it with her staff. She nearly wept in frustration. So close. So very, very close!
Then there was a growl of rage behind her, and a deep voice called her name.
Several things happened at once.
She felt a strong hand grasp the back of her cloak and jerk her backwards off her feet as the Grimm lunged forward, preparing for another scream that would likely incapacitate her and leave her at its mercy.
And a blurred figure leapt past her, faster than her eyes could follow. One second the sound of his rage was meters behind her, and then he was crouched immediately beneath the form of the Alpha Apathy, Cats Paw rammed up and through the bottom of its jaw and pushing its head backward and up.
Pinning it's jaw shut against the thing's own upper palate.
And moment later, that attack was followed by a scream of pure fury and hatred from behind the Grimm, as Summer Rose rounded the corner from the weapons lab, Sundered Rose wielded in both hands. She spun her entire body, putting all the force that her weakened frame could manage into it.
It was a weakened frame with years of training and rage behind it.
Sundered Rose severed the hated creature's neck in one sweeping blow, even as Summer stumbled and slammed into the wall opposite.
The Grimm gave a wordless gurgle from the top of its neck, ichor drizzling down and dissolving into black mist as fast as it appeared. No one dared move as the entire creature fell to its knees and then dissolved into nothingness, and an oppressive weight lifted from their shoulders.
Selene looked up to see the face of her father hovering over her in concern. It was his hand that had pulled her to safety. "Easy there, little Grimmling." He murmured softly. "You did it. Portal's still open. Grimm is gone."
She felt Garek kneel next to her, and he cupped her cheek as she met his eyes. "You did it," he said softly. He nodded to Forrest. "Check on Summer. She hit that wall pretty hard."
Forrest gave Selene one last glance, and moved toward Summer. Selene managed to sit up and was quickly enveloped by a small, lithe hug.
"Mom!" Cinder cried, squeezing her tightly.
"Do we have time for this shit?" Raven complained through the Portal. "Remember we don't know whether this is gonna be noticed. We can do all the lovey dovey on this side of the Portal."
Summer Rose, apparently not seriously hurt, giggled a bit manically with a mixture of emotions. "It's good to see you, too, partner!"
"Shut up." Raven growled. "I'll be pleased as apples to show you how I feel when you're over here," Raven said as Forrest levered Summer up.
Garek took command of the situation from there. "Okay folks. Raven's right. Let's move." He looked at Selene carefully. "You're okay?"
"Yes, I am fine. I just needed a moment. That was… unexpected and unpleasant."
"No kidding."
They took a few minutes to make sure there were no stray rounds or shells from the gunfire, and Selene caught Summer staring at Sundered Rose in her hands. "Summer…"
"I know…." the woman murmured, before returning the weapon back to the lab. "It was good to see you one more time, girl," she whispered. "You did good. You can rest now." She placed it back on the workbench and patted it. When she returned to the hall, her eyes were glassy. "Let's do this," she said. Straightening, she walked carefully through Raven's portal, as if it could break at any moment. Selene nodded, hugged Cinder one more time, and went with Visha back upstairs to the front door.
Where she found the situation in an uproar. A mass of Grimm was pressed up against the prison walls, trying to claw their way through both of the large, reinforced doors and the smaller prison entrance. All of the doors were shuddering under their blows. She could just make out Blackfeather through the barred windows, blocked in among the horde and looking slightly embarrassed.
"Oh… with the machine gone… the Grimm can sense the humans here," she mused.
There was no way she could exit through any of them. Not like that.
She turned to Visha. "This requires a change of plans. Give me the keys, Visha, and have Vernal lock the side door and the one at the bottom of the stairs behind you. When you have all left, the Grimm should disperse, and I will exit, lock the front, and depart on Blackfeather."
"Are you sure, Selene?" Visha blinked. "I couldn't bear the thought of you left here."
"I will be fine, Visha." Selene hugged the woman, and then kissed her bandaged hand. "I will see you soon. Do not tell the others what I plan immediately, they would worry… wait until they are safely back at the campsite."
Visha managed to make it through the side door and felt her heart sink as Vernal locked it, and then the lower one behind her. Finally, Visha, Vernal, and Garek were the only ones left on the prison side of the portal.
Except for Selene.
"Selene said…" she swallowed, "that the Grimm are milling around outside with the shield gone, but they'll settle once we are gone, so she can meet us at your camp. She… she'll be fine. She'll meet us in four hours, she said."
Garek stared upward toward the front door, and nodded tersely, and they walked together through the portal.
The prison fell silent.
Vacuo: Several hours prior…
When the Extraction Team had been gone for a few hours, everyone had begun to prepare. Raven was tense and bitchy. The rest of the Support Team were checking their weapons, waiting for Raven's signal.
Their first clue had been when Raven tensed suddenly, face paling.
"Vernal's gone." She looked at Garek, and then Crystal. "Selene wasn't lying! One second Vernal was there, and fine. And the next… nothing."
Garek held Raven's gaze, and could see her beginning to believe, finally, that this wasn't some elaborate ploy. He could see how much that knowledge was rattling her.
"You ready?"
That seemed to shake her out of it. She narrowed her eyes. "Of course I'm ready. Just make sure you are, if shit goes sideways."
He just nodded, feeling as tense as Raven.
And then, almost an hour after Raven's announcement regarding Vernal, she cried out in shock, eyes wide with a sudden look of disbelieving hope.
"Get ready!" Garek yelled, and Reggie began barking orders to the rest of them at the camp.
And Raven drew Omen, and made a large circular motion with the blade.
A Portal opened before them at the edge of the Base Camp.
When the portal had opened, Reggie'd breathed a sigh of relief, about to make some rousing comment to Garek about how awesome it was when plans actually worked.
And then a soul-sapping feeling washed over them. The screams of an Apathy, along with the cries of the Extraction Team, Garek's family, filled them all with horror. Reggie heard Raven cursing and yelling.
Acting on instinct, he took immediate command of the Support Team, and ordered Rhodes and Crystal to provide cover fire. He was pleased to see how quickly they responded despite the residual effects of the Grimm wafting through the Portal. With alternating fire, they sent round after round of carefully aimed fire dust through the portal, over the heads of their friends, and into the stupidly huge Grimm. He saw Selene making a fighting withdrawal toward the portal, and had a sinking feeling that she wasn't going to make it.
And so did her father. Reggie watched in awe as Forrest yelled and charged through the Portal, heedless of the Apathy's soul-crushing cries. The burly white-haired man made it to Selene, grabbed his daughter by the cloak, and jerked her backward so that the creature's next clawed attack missed her by inches even as it opened it's mouth for another scream.
Nearly simultaneously, Garek roared with rage and jumped up onto a large crate, for reasons Reggie could only guess at.
The faunus drew Cats Paw, glowed briefly, and was no longer there. One moment Reggie saw him standing two meters off the ground in Vacuo, and an instant later Garek had passed through portal and intervening space, and was standing right beneath the hated thing's jaw as it lunged forward toward Selene.
Reggie screamed out "Cease Fire!" even as Garek struck, and the Grimm was silenced by a blade pinning its jaws together.
There was a moment of silence as the echoes of gunfire faded.
And then a one-eyed woman who could only be Summer Rose, the woman they had come to rescue, emerged from a doorway behind the hated thing, and delivered a killing blow with a Mechashift axe.
Reggie found himself remembering how to breathe again, and stared around wide-eyed, then back at the portal as Summer Rose walked carefully through it and into the clearing. Crystal secured her rifle and moved to steady the former prisoner.
"Holy shit..." he said to no one in particular. "We did it."
Summer was followed quickly by Cinder. It was only a few minutes later that Vernal, Garek, and the old woman… Visha, joined them on the safe side of the Portal.
Garek nodded at Raven as he exited, and the Portal closed with a snap.
They had four hours to wait for Selene.
"Fuck that," Reggie said. "Garek. Cinder. Let's go meet her halfway. It's the least we can do. And it'll cut down the wait by two hours at least."
He got no argument from either of them.
Over two hours later, doubt started to gnaw at the trio. It was getting closer to dawn, and that increased the risks that Blackfeather would be spotted by someone.
"Do you see her?" Garek asked for the fifth time.
"Not yet, Garek."
He cursed again. They should have seen her by now.
"There. Is that…" Cinder asked, pointing at a speck ahead of them and to the left, daring to hope.
"Gods, it is," breathed Garek.
They made a wide loop, coming along parallel at a distance. Selene could be seen as a faint silhouette against the fading darkness. She waved at them, and Garek's heart started to beat again.
"She's okay." Cinder started laughing and wiping her face, and he hugged her tightly. "She's okay."
Scrolls pinged as soon as they neared the Vacuo coast, and Garek sent a quick note to Rhodes.
GG: All Green. RTB.
When the Bullhead, followed by the Nevermore, arrived back at camp, they found that someone had broken out multiple bottles of wine.
Summer and Raven were off to the side using a crate as a table, with an open bottle in front of Summer and several empties scattered on top. They weren't screaming at each other, but they gave off a strange combination of tension and relief. Vernal sat nearby, wary of interrupting them, but holding an open bottle and looking put upon.
Visha was talking animatedly to Rhodes as Crys tended to her damaged finger with a field medkit. Forrest had a hand on Visha's shoulder, and it was glowing gently.
Selene barely made it off Blackfeather before she was mobbed, first by Cinder, then by Garek.
And then by Summer, who had apparently been drinking heavily.
"You diddit!" Summer slurred, holding herself upright by using Raven for support. "You said… said… tole me you'd dooit, and you diddit!" She laughed and sobbed simultaneously; her silver eye bright with tears.
"Dammit Summer, let's get you on the Bullhead. You can thank her some more after you've sobered up," Raven groused. She looked at Selene. "Never could hold her alcohol. And what the fuck took you so long? I had to get her drunk, so she'd stop panicking!"
"A mass of Grimm had been attempting to storm the prison," Selene explained. "Once the machine turned off, they could sense the presence of all the people." She glanced at Garek. "I had to wait for everyone else to leave. Only then could I use my Semblance properly to create space enough to open the door and reach Blackfeather. It took almost an hour." She frowned. It had been unpleasant, but she hadn't been harmed. "I threw the keys into the sea, Summer."
"Yayyyy!" Summer yelled as Raven dragged her toward the Bullhead.
"Let's unharness Blackfeather and get packed up. I don't want to stick around any longer than we need to," Garek said, hugging Selene again and kissing her gently. "I don't want any more solo missions like that."
"I was with-"
"You know damn well what I meant, Selene."
"Very well. But this was a special case."
"No more special cases!"
Selene felt another arm across her shoulders and turned to see her father grinning at her. "You'd do well to listen to Garek, Selene. He is a Huntsman, after all."
Within hours, they had broken camp and returned back to Vacuo Airport, where Forrest bid them farewell to pursue leads regarding technology manufacturers.
And by the next morning, the Bullhead was grounded outside the Branwen Tribe encampment, which caused mixed emotions. On the one hand, Raven Branwen had warmed to them dramatically on the flight back, and they had just worked closely together to rescue her best friend.
On the other hand, it was a Bandit tribe. They raided villages, robbed people, sometimes killed people. Crys in particular seemed unwilling to return to the camp and stayed with Reggie in the Bullhead, even after Raven had made it clear that Selene had held up her end of the bargain, and Crystal could come and go as she pleased.
Visha didn't seem to really mind at all.
The Garek, Rhodes, Summer, and Selene felt a combination of discomfort and relief. The Tribe was safe for them, but they knew the potential for violence that lay beneath that safety. You could see it in how Vernal acted. Arrogant or scared, depending on who she was dealing with. There was no weakness allowed here. Except for them, because they were temporary guests. But the more temporary, the better.
The only reason they were hanging around, really, was to see Summer off. As she'd sobered up on the trip back, they'd discussed next steps. Eventually they'd agreed that the best approach was to get to the Branwen encampment and first get Summer cleaned up, clothed properly, and figure out some sort of eyepatch.
And then they'd wait until Raven could safely create a Portal back to Patch. And that meant ensuring Taiyang was alone. Summer needed to talk to him first, before the girls found out.
The waiting was hard. It was two full days later, near ten o'clock on Friday evening, when Raven came to Summer as the group sitting around a fire. "Taiyang is awake and alone. Yang is further away, and calm. She's likely with Ruby." Raven seemed rattled. The two of them had spent nearly every minute together since Summer's release, and now, in a way, Raven was losing her partner again.
But only in a way, and I'm losing her to Taiyang, and that is how it's supposed to be, Raven told herself. She shook her head to clear those thoughts and glared at her friend. "Remember your fucking promises, Summer."
"I know," Summer choked. "No more missions. Avoid Ozpin like the plague. I… I got it."
"You'd better. Looks like you're going to have plenty of time to explain things to Tai. Make it good."
Summer was a ball of emotions. She felt like she might explode from them. "Right. Right." She giggled manically. "Bet the kids are at… at… a sleepover." Then she sobbed, "Gods. My babies." Raven didn't flinch, but Summer put a hand on her friend's shoulder and corrected herself. "No… I owe you, Raven. Our babies. Don't forget it. You are welcome any time."
Raven frowned at Summer for a second, and then her expression softened. "It's not that easy," she muttered.
"It can be," Summer quipped, and then laughed, emotions swinging yet again. "How do I look?" she asked the group. Access to clean clothes, fresh air, and freedom had helped her recover somewhat. She was dressed in a dark red, almost black, dress. It had likely been 'liberated' from some wealthy merchant. And a member of the tribe had made her a stylized eye-patch, black with a stitched silver rose covering most of the surface. She had also been given a pair of ornate hand-axes which were sheathed on her belt.
They were nothing like Sundered Rose, but they would do. For now.
"You look wonderful," Visha said, eyes tearing.
Summer gave her friend a hug. "Old fool," she murmured, pulling back, "You're welcome any time too. We've got room for you." Visha nodded, and then stepped back, cheeks wet.
"Remember," Garek cautioned. "You don't know what happened. You felt something change, and Raven's portal appeared, and she got you out. There was an old woman, a caretaker, and you left her with the tribe. Our roles don't come out at all. Not yet."
"I got it. And I'll wait to hear from you," she had one of their secure scrolls in a pouch at her side, "before I spread the word that I'm back." Raven glared at her. "I know, Raven." She sighed. "And you were right." Raven's sudden look of pure, unadulterated bliss spoke volumes. "Oh poo," Summer groused. "Never living this down." She took a shuddering breath. "I'm ready."
And Raven waved Omen in a circle, forming the Portal in front of Summer.
A Portal to Taiyang Xiao-Long.
[A/N] Special thanks to my recent reviewers Regale Rhythm, Shadowstorm-Vash, MercenaryGrok, and DragonL0RD!
So... Author promises. Author delivers.
And for the love of all that is holy, if you enjoyed this chapter, please tell me. I put a lot of work into trying to make it feel tense (Alpha Apathy attack!), melancholy (Sundered Rose abandoned!) and happy (Summer retrieved!).
Next chapter will be in Patch. Total feels trip.