RWBY & All associated trademarks are property of Rooster Teeth (RIP Monty Oum)
I claim no ownership of anything except my own original characters.
I am making no money from this.
Chapter 148: Time To Go
Preparations had taken longer than anticipated, several days having been spent moving people and equipment, the various pieces of the bloody and violent puzzle that the operation promised to be into position and ensuring that none of those myriad elements were pre-emptively overcome by Creatures of Grimm.
Now however, as the first sunlight crested the horizon to give only the merest suggestion of relief from the biting, scouring cold of Atlas there was no more left to be done save for the last of those who intended to fight to finally make their way to the blockade fleet.
It was time.
"Everyone ready?" Astra asked in a hushed tone, barely a pace ahead of the rest of Team MARSZ and with their breath misting out in front of them. The team of five Hunters stared in silence at the waiting transport craft, noting that it was a larger model than they were usually afforded and yet would likely be no more comfortable to travel aboard with all of its' interior laden with as many munitions and explosives as it could carry; as bloody and decisive as the days' fighting promised to be there were no illusions about this being a protracted event which would require space aboard the incoming craft to be devoted to several days' worth of supplies.
"I'm ready" Athena-Jade answered, simply breaking the silence after allowing the moment to linger for too long and, at least in her own mind becoming oppressively heavy. Glancing around she found herself on the outside edge of the group, with Zirconia and Stygian both having tried to take a customary place at her right hand side whilst Regalia was pushing her jetbike along beside her, the Gravity Dust it ran on being engaged just enough for it float buoyantly beside her.
"Are you sure you wanna bring Clunker?" Athena asked carefully, part of her simply wanting to fill the silence and part of her genuinely concerned for the jetbike she knew was unfathomably important to the Racoon Faunus "Good chance it's gonna get wrecked"
"It might be the difference between us getting a bomb somewhere we need to on time or not, or us getting out or not" Regalia noted, expression darkening and filling with sudden worry "Besides, Clunker's chances are no worse than ours really"
"That's…." Astra trailed off, managing to plaster a faint smirk onto their features as they let out a weak snort "Y'know I'm not even sure if that's reassuring or not….Still, I wouldn't be bringing my truck even if it was ready"
Athena tuned out of the conversation as it devolved into a moment between the two partners and instead focused her gaze on Zirconia and Stygian who regarded the transport ahead of them with grim determination. Treating the pair to a nervous smile the Bear Faunus found herself suddenly regretting that she hadn't tried again, or more insistently to make her feelings more clearly known to both of her partners after learning about the upcoming mission; the realisation that they would be attacking Pantheon directly and working aside Damascus Nero to some extent had pushed all other thoughts aside and now Athena was forced to consider the very real possibility that something important might go unsaid.
"ATHENA!" a desperate call from behind her caused the Bear Faunus to whirl around, mid-way on the path between Schnee Manor and the landing pad upon which the transport was waiting and find that her mother was standing on the steps leading to the main entrance.
"Go, we can wait" Zirconia rasped out, to which Athena nodded silently and sprinted back to her mother; reaching Weiss in moments and being pulled into a crushing hug as her mother let out a single choking sob.
"I left Atlas for Neo Vale when Arctus was in trouble in the last war….Now both of my children are going off to fight. It should be us, your father and I-"
"But you're the head of research and development for one of the most important companies on Remnant and Aunt Winter needs Dad more than she needs another body to throw at this" Athena answered gently, clutching her mother tightly. She had heard something, in the form of hushed and whispered conversations that halted when someone ended the room which suggested her father and her aunt had been at odds regarding the choice to send both Team FADE and Team MARSZ into battle but Athena chose to change the subject to something less argumentative "Besides, if something goes wrong then someone's gotta look after Selenite right?….I can't be the responsible adult, I'm the cool Aunt who's a bad influence-"
"Don't" Weiss shook her head "Don't joke about things like that, please….I can't think about it AJ, I can't. You're coming home safe, all of you, your team and your brothers' and Selenite is going grow up adoring all of you, you hear me?"
"Yeah" Athena's voice wavered for a moment before she pushed through the urge to simply give into her fears and instead reasserted her joking tone and confidence "Yeah Mum, I hear you. We've got this. That Grimm fortress is going down, we're getting rid of the Grimm that made it and Team MARSZ are gonna go in the history books….before we were even supposed to graduate; just like Team RWBY"
"If anybody can do it it's you….Or your brother, or your Aunt Ruby probably" Weiss made a show of seeming thoughtful as she stepped back, wiping her eyes before placing her hands on her daughters' shoulders "I am so proud of you Athena-Jade, just look at you, look at what you've grown into"
"Hey….Don't, I don't want anything to sound final" Athena urged gently "It's not final. I'm coming back….Coral would kill me if I didn't"
"Indeed" Weiss nodded with faux-solemnity before becoming serious "Be careful out there and don't take any risks that you don't need to. If this plan doesn't work Winter can make another plan, there isn't another you….You need to have a long and happy life with your friends and those two partners of yours"
The sound of Athena-Jade choking on air at that particular comment cut through the tension of the moment.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded, only to be treated to the sight of her mother rolling her eyes at her.
"I'm not blind and you're not a dolt Athena, you know exactly how you feel….I wish we could have spoken more about it" Weiss' expression softened a profound sadness filling eyes that were so like Athena's own and the younger woman swallowed thickly, choking back an emotional goodbye as she realised what needed to be said.
"Yeah….But I have to go"
"I know" Weiss nodded "And I'm repeating myself but be careful….Your father is keeping watch of Grimm movement, using the military channels; it sounds like there are a lot of Grimm in the air already"
"Sounds like we're expected then….I'll let the others know" Athena squared her shoulders
And with that Athena gave her mother one last hug before turning and sprinting back towards Team MARSZ.
"Everything okay?" Astra asked as she rejoined them. Athena-Jade nodded silently, taking a moment to breathe deeply before striding ahead and taking the lead with Stygian and Zirconia falling in and following close behind her.
"Everything's fine….But there's already Grimm in the air, so we might not have an uninterrupted flight" Athena breathed out, looking first in the direction of the still-waiting aircraft and then in the direction of the sunrise and the waiting Grimm-Fortress.
"Let's go save the world"
"We should have moved out with the others….This is drawing too much attention" Diamond Slate, formerly Sustrai-Black murmured, breaking the silence that had settled over the interior of the transport craft Team FADE were travelling aboard.
"Honestly I agree" Felix nodded, the dirty-blonde haired Lion Faunus loosened the harness that secured him in place in order to lean forward and make himself more comfortable by adjusting a tail that was partly cybernetic
"But I do understand General Schnee's reasoning though; it makes sense to have us be some of the last ones in considering what we're carrying….The longer we're in the area there's more time for something to go wrong"
"But we still stick out like a sore thumb like this" Arctus noted, the towering Bear Faunus somewhat predictably siding with his wife and partner "We're the last flight out of the base….Aunt Winter should have held some of the other transports and bombers back. One transport coming out after everything else draws attention"
"And it's not just the Grimm we have to worry about" Eagle noted, adjusting her pristine white armour and allowing her fingers to drum against the handle of her black-bladed sword whilst Sentinel, her trusty automaton was collapsed down into his shield form and resting against her leg. Silence settled over Team FADE once again, leaden and icy in the wake of Eagle's grim but inescapably truthful comment and in response Arctus reached out to squeeze Diamond's hand, the married couple both silently thinking about the daughter they were leaving behind whilst Felix and Eagle surreptitiously drew their scrolls and checked for any updates from their respective romantic partners and family members who were aboard the Nemesis Kharybdis at the head of the Blockade Fleet. Eventually however the four Hunters, experienced in the crucially important art of distracting themselves and maintaining their composure before a mission as they might have been found their attention drawn to the object in the centre of the passenger and cargo area of the transport.
The modified Aura Transfer Machine, the physical representation of Project Inertia and with it the hopes of a safer and more peaceful Remnant.
A reimagining of Damascus Nero's own so called 'Bright New Tomorrow'
"You guys think we're gonna make it, that we're gonna pull this off?" Arctus asked hesitantly, allowing uncertainties to bubble to the surface despite himself as he regarded the payload Team FADE would be carrying. The device was partially collapsed and was stored within a bulletproof but thankfully lightweight container roughly the size of a person which would need to be carried either by two people, Sentinel or Arctus's own glyphs; the container being laden with labels proclaiming that its' contents were sensitive and volatile in order to further suggest that Team FADE were merely another team of Hunters involved in the plan to plant demolition charges within Pantheon's fortress.
"We have to" Eagle answered firmly "There's too much at stake….We're the good guys here right, the heroes! There's only one way this story ends"
"You heard her big guy" Diamond nudged her husband gently, the two of them sharing a look which held an entire conversation; namely each of them silently urging the other to not mention the idea of a tragedy. Correcting Eagle would be no good for anyone.
"Besides" Felix chuckled grimly, gold-painted cybernetic fist clenching "We're too good at this to die. We beat Salem"
There was a single moment of peaceful, almost contented silence wherein Team FADE collectively allowed themselves a sigh of relief at the sense of normality before it was breached and Felix's bravado was seemingly answered by the hiss of the door which separated the cockpit from the rest of the transport sliding open and the co-pilot stepping into view with a worried, but sternly focused and determined expression.
"We have a problem-"
"Damn it Fluffy, this is your fault somehow" Diamond muttered, blowing a loose strand of silvery hair away from cherry red eyes to punctuate the comment. Felix merely snorted and gestured for the co-pilot to continue.
"Grimm got behind us" the words caused the team to stiffen, each of them unfastening their harnesses and rising to their feet as the co-pilot spoke "We're above open water, too far out for the fleet to send anybody our way. It looks like a small group that were nesting near the coast, maybe on some of the cliffs and they followed us; they've just gotten close enough to spot and they're closing fast-"
"Understood. We'll handle it" Felix answered simply, his demeanour shifting to a blend of businesslike calm and total, reassuring certainty which sent a ripple through Team FADE as a whole as the experienced Hunters began preparing their response.
"Arctus give me some glyphs. Usual procedure, I'll pick off anything that looks intelligent enough to be an Alpha or like it might be guiding the others"
"On it" the Bear Faunus answered, unsheathing his oversized and broad-bladed sword.
"Sentinel and I can cover you and take out some of the others" Eagle chimed in happily "Felix-"
"Cover fire" the leader of the team nodded, readying his own weapon in its' machine gun form and striding towards the rear hatch of the transport and bracing himself firmly before opening it.
Wind howled as open sky and open sea below became visible, littered only with a few clouds and more importantly the dark forms of a flock of Nevermore; their wings beating powerfully as they continued to close the distance.
"They're coming in fast" Arctus noted as he stepped into place beside his cousin "They'll be able to fire their quills at us any second now"
"I know….Gotta get the timing right. You guys ready?" Felix asked, hearing the affirmative answers from his team without ever looking away from the incoming Grimm "Okay, ready….wait for it….NOW!"
Team FADE were on the attack in an instant.
Eagle and Diamond leapt from the transport and into battle, the former engaging her Semblance in a flash of brilliant white Aura and taking to her avian form in order to close the distance between herself and the Grimm with a shriek; re-emerging in the midst of the flock with her sword drawn and its' blade disappearing into the neck of a winged monster in the next instant. She also deployed Sentinel, the shield unfurling and transforming in mid-air to be a winged and distinctly bird-like robot which deployed multiple weapons on the Nevermore; with its' Lightning Dust loaded claws being the most spectacular, the automaton letting out a series of happy doots and beeps as it did so.
Diamond by contrast was propelled into battle by her husband, Arctus using the Schnee Semblance to conjure up a Nevermore of his own which the silver-haired sniper rode into the midst of the flock before leaping into a series of glyphs the Bear Faunus created for her, her own Semblance allowing her to bend the laws of physics to her will and make gravity and other forces mere distractions as she flitted between the Creatures of Grimm, taking devastatingly well-placed shots with her sniper rifle and severing heads and wings every time she shifted Lex Talionis into its' glaive mode.
It was an artful display from the two women, made possible by the men supporting them from aboard the transport.
Overkill, Felix's weapon unleashed a firestorm of Dust-filled bullets into the flock; cutting off individual Grimm from one another and halting their attempts to attack Eagle and Diamond, reducing the avian horrors to squawking and screeching in frustration whilst Arctus further corralled them with the same glyphs he used to keep Diamond airborne, pushing the Nevermore into or out of her path as the situation demanded.
It seemed that things would be almost entirely routine.
Then a shadow fell over them all, blotting out the sun in an instant and without warning.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?" Felix demanded, his own panicked yell being accompanied by the sounds of the pilot and co pilot of the aircraft frantically making sense of the situation and reaction whilst Arctus, still positioned beside the Lion Faunus gripped Felix's shoulder and directed his attention all whilst trying to remain focused on maintaining his glyphs.
"Look up!" Felix did so and found himself letting out a wordless growl at the sight that greeted him.
The Megalodon.
Damascus Nero's monstrous Grimm-Vessel, the largest Cyber-Grimm yet made and the means by which more of the abominations could be created had obviously been nearby if it had not been directly tracking Team FADE and had likely been above them for the entirety of the battle with the Nevermore, only now dropping its' cloaking field with frightening effect.
The response from the Creatures of Grimm was immediate, they let out shrieking challenges and rushed upwards to fight the newly arrived threat with an urgency that only increased once Cyber-Grimm began to disgorge themselves from various launchpads. The distraction allowed Eagle and Diamond to retreat back to the transport, with the latter being aided by Arctus who also began creating layered glyphs above the pair and around their aircraft.
"Dude….That thing is….Holy crap it's insane!" Diamond exclaimed as her feet found a solid surface, words wavering as she looked up a the Megalodon in terrified awe. Her uncertainties only being magnified as the remaining Nevermore were cut down on in an instant, the Cyber-Grimm targeting them with a perfectly coordinated volley of laser-fire which lanced through their midst and gave the winged terrors nowhere to flee from each beam save for into the path of another; the Megalodon hanging ominously above them without ever needing to enter the fight directly.
And the Cyber-Grimm began to spread out, taking on what was obviously a pre-determined formation intended to encircle the transport; drawing close enough that their chainsaw-screeching, metallic cries could be heard over the sounds of rushing air and thundering propulsion systems.
"What do we do?" Eagle asked cautiously, Sentinel shifting defensively into shield mode and affixing to her forearm whilst the freckled blonde woman peered out at the new presence "What're they doing?"
Felix stared, navy blue eyes hard and an urgent need to do something burning through him; a need that was only abated slightly as a simple realisation came to him and caused him to let out a single, barking laugh.
"They're giving us an escort" the Lion Faunus turned to the rest of Team FADE incredulously "They're making sure that nobody else messes with our cargo"
It was an absurd statement that it took Team FADE a while to fully appreciate the humour of.
The Command Bridge of the Megalodon was filled with low, ambient buzz of chatter as its' various crew exchanged information and updates with the occasional spike in volume as Nero was informed of something noteworthy, creating an atmosphere which almost crackled with apprehension and suspense.
The focal point of the entire scene was the near-panoramic screen which extended from the front of the bridge out to it's sides and displayed the open expanse of sky that had, only moments ago been an in impromptu battlefield and was now peaceful save for the presence of the Megalodon itself along with a lone Atlesian aircraft which was now flanked and surrounded by Cyber-Grimm; the mechanical horrors serving as a threat to be directed either to any incoming Creatures of Grimm or towards the aircraft itself and the Hunters aboard it, should they prove difficult.
"Do you think they'll try to attack us?" Carmesi's voice rumbled in Nero's ear, the Komodo Dragon Faunus being positioned at the former chairman's right hand side; standing firmly to attention aboard the Megalodon's bridge as well-honed instinct and habit took hold and with his single hellish red eye scouring the screen displaying the world outside of the Grimm-Airship for any sign that something was amiss. Nero paused to consider the possibilities for a moment, pushing back lank, dark hair with his gloved cybernetic hand and peering at the screen with his dark, quartz-coloured eyes with his features set into a frown of deep concentration.
"I don't think so" her murmured thoughtfully, allowing himself a wry smile that was rendered lopsided by the scars which reached from his neck to his jaw as he continued "No….I think we'll be hearing from General Schnee within a few moments and that she will demand an explanation, which I will be happy to supply her with. We are simply helping"
Carmesi failed to match Nero's faintly amused tone and expression, the burly reptilian instead remaining grimly focused as he regarded the image of the lone transport currently situated beneath the Megalodon.
"Neither side can risk damaging the device" the reasoned, words a subtle growl "You're certain that they're the ones who have it?"
"As certain as I can be without actually seeing it" Nero nodded, pausing to consider once again before explaining further "Schnee will have the Aura Transfer Device with someone she trusts, with Ruby Rose and her wife not being present for this engagement it's most likely that the Aura Transfer Device is being carried by a member of her family. Under normal circumstances I would be certain that her niece, the Specialist would be the one to deliver the payload however she is currently with the Blockade Fleet and Branwen himself-"
"It could have been sent ahead"
"It could have been, but it wasn't" Nero shook his head with an air of finality "Time constraints and the risk of having it damaged during the interim….No, the Aura Transfer Machine is aboard one of the last aircraft to join the Blockade Fleet. Amongst that category are both Winter's nephew who is now directly below us and her niece, who is elsewhere with Zirconia"
"You don't think Zirconia's team-mates would be trusted with it because of her presence?" Nero heard the question and regarded Carmesi with a look of mild incredulity.
"I think she would rather give such a dangerous duty to the more experienced adults who have taken part in similarly important missions before than to a group who should rightly still be attending an academy and who are collectively nineteen and twenty years old; no matter how experienced they might be" Nero declared, fighting an obvious urge to raise his voice at the younger man before giving the screen a sly look "Besides….the General made a perfunctory effort to hide Zirconia's whereabouts and role in this operation from me, she expected and likely wanted me to know that she was part of the demolition teams. Schnee is trying to distract us, distract me. Team FADE have the Aura Transfer Machine"
"Then why not simply take it now?" Carmesi rumbled.
"Don't be over eager Carmesi" Nero chided "If we attack now then we loose the moments of confusion that we will have if we stick to the plan….Team FADE could contact Schnee and she might well send reinforcements. Regardless of who were to win the subsequent fight we would be in a worse position; attacking Pantheon with our full combined might is simply a better strategy than bloodying each others' noses beforehand"
"I understand" Carmesi nodded slowly "Instead we provide support and cover fire for them whilst they approach the fortress….And wear down our own forces"
"Not enough to make an appreciable difference by the looks of things" Nero countered calmly "What of Gestalt-Prime?"
"The….creature" Carmesi's remaining eye narrowed and his fists clenched in open loathing "Is making final preparations before moving into launch position alongside the other Cyber-Grimm"
"I see" Nero murmured, his own expression hardening and becoming markedly more serious for a moment as he turned away from Carmesi and instead addressed one of the bridge crew "See to it that engineering team and specialists with knowledge of the Forge's working inspect it once Gestalt-Prime has deployed….This close to the end I wouldn't put it past them to try something….Unwise and unfortunate"
"Aye sir" the individual answered sharply, snapping to attention and giving a shaky salute that betrayed their otherwise admiral attempts to appear as though they were not utterly terrified at the prospect of the events that lay ahead and possibilities being discussed. As they began sending the required orders and messages to other areas of the Megalodon Nero turned his focus back to Carmesi and found the burly and rugged disgraced Hunter rolling his remaining eye at the display of nerves.
"Behave" Nero said simply and for all his gruffness and bleak resolve Carmesi allowed himself a broad, menacing smile full of sharp teeth only for the moment to be interrupted by the clarion call of another member of the bridge crew yelling out urgently.
"Mister Nero sir, we have an incoming transmission from General Schnee!"
"On screen….But not full screen, I don't want to lose track of the Hunters" Nero's lip twitched faintly at the idea of being outplayed by such a mundane ploy as having his screen occupied.
"Aye sir" a moment later a small window opened within part of the bridges' main viewscreen and Winter's scowling features flickered into view. Nero, reacting quickly and mustering himself and all of the false charm laden with heavy sarcasm at his disposal splayed his hands wide and greeted the General with a bright, if uneven smile and a voice filled with a sugary cheer even as Carmesi glared from his position at the older man's right shoulder.
"General, how wonderful to see you! I trust that you're doing well this morning….How can I help you?"
Nero heard one of the bridge crew snicker and found that he couldn't even be annoyed at it.
An interruption to Team MARSZ's flight had felt somehow inevitable, as if no matter what precautions were put in place and no matter how well prepared they and everyone involved in the coming operation sought to be it was always simply a matter of when the attack would come and what form it would take.
The attack had come in the form of a pack, or flock of Teryx with numbers far greater than the winged, saurian beasts could usually be found in which had attacked from further afield than their preferred hunting grounds; scores of them being perched on rocky outcroppings a short distance away from the Atlesian coast which might once have been boulders that had fallen from cliffs or simply the remains of sunken islands. The Grimm had been clambering over one another and tightly, densely packed into the woefully inadequate space in a way which made it obvious from even a moments' inspection that this was not a natural gathering and that these were not monsters which had simply found a niche from themselves by preying on whatever commercial or freight vessels usually passed through the area.
The Teryx were overcrowded in a small area because they were part of Pantheon's forces, secreted away in advance so they could score an early victory against the forces gathering against the Grimm General before the true battle had even begun.
And so Team MARSZ had leapt into battle against the Teryx the moment that they had been made aware of the Grimm's approach from below; shrieking and spitting with murderous fury.
'Double Hard-light' Sunriser Cain announced to the barely lightened morning air as Zirconia prepared to employ a technique that was not a part of her usual repertoire but was one which the circumstances called for.
Team MARSZ had leapt from the rear hatch of their transport and as the Teryx came soaring upwards the Grasshopper Faunus singled out one of their number which seemed particularly intent on tearing into her flesh before aiming her weapon in its' pistol form at a point roughly level with her own feet; the result being the creation of a single, razor-thin sheet of glowing cyan hard-light upon which Zirconia seemed to surf through the air.
'Lightning, Gravity!', 'Double Fire' the weapon continued to announce itself and kick in Zirconia's hand as she fired it without hesitation into the oncoming Creatures of Grimm and reduced several of their number to burning and fading ruins, all whilst continuing to fall with her coat and scarf trailing dramatically behind her until the Grimm which she had marked and which had seemingly given her similar consideration drew close.
Then she leapt.
The Teryx snapped, it's maw open wide in an effort to tear at Zirconia only for the her to kick the razor-thin sheet of Hard-light into its' mouth at an angle which saw it shear through the Grimm, separating flesh and bone until the Dust-made object shattered and the Teryx came away in two halves before dissipating.
And then Zirconia was falling, an instinctive and inescapable sense of panic rising at the sensation even as she calmly reloaded and prepared her weapons' rotating Dust chambers for another barrage, ideas of using Ice and Hard-light Dust in tandem to break her fall already forming before she was brought to a sudden, mildly jarring halt which her cybernetic legs suppressed the brunt of; allowing her to land in a crouch with a dramatic flair that gave the illusion of grace and purpose whilst also allowing her to see exactly what it was she had landed on and smile fondly upon realising.
A glowing glyph.
"Don't worry I've got your back!" Athena-Jade's voice exclaimed almost cheerfully from above, with Zirconia glancing upwards to see the Bear Faunus and exchange a single meaningful look before Athena's attention was once again directed towards her own enemies as the Creatures of Grimm continued to attack.
Rather than using a glyph as a platform like the one she had created for Zirconia Athena had taken to the air on vast, glowing and incandescent wings; wielding Heartbreaker whilst flying in a way that the Bear Faunus realised absently was reminiscent of Corvid Xiao Long and which her older cousin would certainly comment on if she were ever to see it. In its' hammer mode crushed the skull of a lone Teryx to come surging at her from the right, her mid-air pivot allowing the blow to achieve more momentum though the cloud of obsidian mist and fragments the Grimm was reduced to served as momentary cover for another of the flock to draw closer, claws and fangs extended. Athena-Jade's answer was to fold the Semblance-formed wings close to her back and shift her weapon into its' oversized sword form, dropping beneath the Teryx and cutting into its' torso before unfurling her wings once again to launch herself upwards and impale it.
More Teryx came rushing at her, this time from all sides and Athena was forced to sacrifice the wings of her partial summoning in order to respond to them all at once; the wings vanishing in glowing cascade of ephemeral embers whilst the glyphs at her back which had produced them remained and produced a series of elongated and grasping Beowolf claws which lashed out in a blinding flurry to seize the Grimm by the neck and wings, a move which both slowed Athena's sudden fall and allowed her to drag the various Teryx into the path of Heartbreaker.
Which was suddenly in its' laser cannon configuration.
Athena-Jade gave a toothy, confident smile as the air was filled with the familiar thrumming and warping bass note and a lance of ethereal green light burned through the Grim in an instant; the sudden lack of resistance leaving her plummeting downwards until she halted herself with a glyph, much as she had done for Zirconia only moments ago. The respite was brief however as the screaming of monsters which had identified her as a notable threat continued and the sound of wings beating dangerously close alerted her to another attack.
Only for the Teryx to be silenced by the distinctive sound of a sword being swung.
"You don't get all of 'em" Stygian declared as he appeared and cleaved through the neck of the monster, lingering only long enough to shoot the Bear Faunus a cocky smile and a wink which left Athena unsure whether she should return the smile or pout in indignation before disappeared again in a watery rippling of the air.
A moment later Stygian was elsewhere cutting through a Teryx which was honing in on the open hatch of Team MARSZ's transport before once again using his Semblance to teleport and not only seek out a new target, but also to prevent himself from plummeting down into the sea blow as he was constantly brought back into the midst of the aerial battle.
Sharp Cheese was thrust through the neck of another Grimm targeting Athena.
Another teleportation and he was beside Zirconia who had managed to perch herself on the back of a thrashing Teryx and from there the Mouse Faunus reached out and grasped the wing of an incoming monster with his cybernetic hand before tearing the captured wing away with a blade which glowed orange with the heat of Fire Dust.
The motion gave Stygian pause as it reminded him of the way his own arm had been so callously and so easily cut away.
Shaking his head to clear it the dark-skinned and tattooed young man threw himself back into the thick of things however his next assault was less successful; either through his own distraction or its' own reflexes the next Creature of Grimm he appeared close to managed to anticipate his arrival and whipped around to slam its' winding and muscular, spine-laden tail into his torso and send him spiralling away; too consumed by struggling to keep his katana in his grasp to immediately engage his Semblance once again and unwilling to risk losing his weapon to the waves.
Before any harm could come to him however the Mouse Faunus was saved.
"COME WITH ME IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!" the words coincided with Stygian landing with a jarring and decidedly uncomfortable thud on the back of a fast-moving object which spewed flames from its' rear; his body reacting faster than his conscious thoughts could hope to and causing him to flail around frantically and grasp onto something fleshy before he could topple backwards into the flames.
The sound of a shotgun blast, followed by the shrieking of a dying Teryx solidified Stygian's thoughts and brought his senses to order, allowing him to realise that he had been caught by Regalia and was now on the back of Clunker which seemed to be under a great deal more strain than usual.
"I didn't think your jetbike could fly?" he asked worriedly.
"It's really not meant to" Regalia admitted through gritted teeth, hands clenched firmly on Clunker's handle "It's only gonna be able to do this for a few minutes at most before the anti-gravity system starts burning out….So hold on!"
Stygian had a reply that would likely have been sarcastic on the tip of their tongue when it was ripped away and replaced with a wordless yell of panic as the bushy-tailed Racoon Faunus sent Clunker hurtling through the air at breakneck speed with the customary flaming contrail and roaring sound of its' propulsion being undercut by an uncertain grinding rattle. Teryx caught sight of the jetbike and began to swirl around it, attempting to give chase or swoop down on the two Hunters riding on it; forced to defend themselves Stygian slashed and stabbed with Sharp Cheese, imbuing the blade of the katana with a mixture of Ice and Gravity Dust to crumple and immobilise the limbs of the Grimm which drew close enough to be hit all whilst weaving around Regalia who reached back and opened fire with Apex Scavenger in its' shotgun form, blasting holes into scaly black hides and almost deafening Stygian in the process.
Until finally the rear hatch of Team MARSZ's transport came into view.
"HOLD ONTO YOUR BUTT!" Regalia yelled as she pushed her beloved jetbike to its' limits, its' entire chassis rattling dangerously even as she aimed and fired her harpoon into the exposed cargo hold, anchoring herself and hastily winching herself, Stygian and Clunker to safety.
Even as the remainder of the flock of Teryx seemed to hone in on Regalia specifically and chase after Clunker with their jaws snapping and a clear intent to tear through every part of the transport their claws could reach.
Then Astra stepped into view.
"Get clear!" they yelled in warning, forcing Regalia to throw Clunker into a risky, looping path which saw a shower of sparks spraying from the edge of the open hatch as she brought the jetbike over and around her partner before safely skidding to a halt within the transport, brushing over the container full of explosives they carried and avoiding a collision with the cockpit by inches.
Despite this Regalia and Stygian were still both able to clamber from the jetbike and watch, with hearts hammering in their chests as Astra unfurled Buckshot Ares's guns and unleashed a devastating maelstrom of firepower which tore the incoming Teryx to wisps and shreds, a single bullet-riddled claw drawing dangerously close only to be burned away by an expertly-placed shot from Heartbreaker's laser which preceded Athena-Jade herself swooping back into view.
"Where's Zirconia?" Astra called out, their momentary lapse in concentration seeing the last of the Teryx drive its' ugly snout into the cargo and passenger hold, snapping and biting wildly.
'Hard-light! Gravity!' a beam of solidified light skewered the Grimm at the base of its' spine and Astra watched the light leave the things' eyes before the rest of its' body lost cohesion; creating space for Zirconia to leap inside and hastily close the hatch behind her.
"Right here" she rasped out calmly, happily accepting a hand which Athena-Jade held out to her and allowing herself to be led to a seat
"Okay, we're clear….Nobodies' hurt right?" Astra paused for a moment, seeing the unspoken answers before "That's that handled and we're still en route….I should probably check everything with the pilot though"
"We kicked their butts" Regalia breathed out, still breathing heavily and crouching down beside her jetbike and waiting for her hands to steady themselves before attempting to move the vehicle or check it for damage. Silence, or something close it reigned for a matter of moments as each of the five of them gathered their wits and quietly examined themselves and their partners for any injuries until Zirconia spoke; giving voice to an unpleasant but unavoidable thought.
"That was just the advance party….I can't imagine how much resistance we're gonna be up against once we get to the Grimm-Fortress"
The sea and sky around and above Pantheon's fortress had grown so densely packed, both the Grimm General's own forces and with the human enemy they would soon be unleashed against that the maelstrom of conflicting and overlapping emotions which clashed and fed into one another could be felt, could almost be tasted within the heart of Pantheon's seafloor domain.
The atmosphere had grown so heavy as battle loomed that Pantheon scarcely needed to use their living throne or Synapse Grimm to parse what was happening and could instead discern the current location and many cases predict the movements of any given vessel of the Kingdoms by way roiling currents of fear and anger interacted with one another, pulsing and spiking as orders were given or as colossal, almost tectonic masses of pure rage and murderous intent which represented the Creatures of Grimm.
Yet Pantheon still sank into their throne and wrapped their vast wings around themselves as the Synapse Grimm drew close.
The familiar connection and rushing sensation came as expected, the tendrils of the repulsive and floating Squid-Grimm intermingling both with Pantheon's flesh and with the writhing and pulsating web of fleshy tendrils which consumed with twisted metal base of the Grimm General's throne; a sensation almost perversely akin to thrusting ones' face to cold and refreshing water as the raw and primal urges of the Creatures of Grimm became crystallised and defined.
Peering through the conduit and incorporeal, mental vantage point that their connection to a vast swathe of the Hive-Mind served as Pantheon took stock of the forces that they had marshalled. The exterior of their living fortress was well defended and littered thoroughly with scuttling monsters, not only the Artillery Shells which had continued to serve their purpose well by unleashing devastating volleys at the Blockade Fleet but also by myriad other slinking and prowling things that were insectoid, arachnid or simply too esoteric in form to be neatly categorised; all of which had been gathered in preparation for the coming violence that Pantheon, through the senses of their minions could taste on the air.
The waves were Grimm's domain and the human vessels which intruded upon it would soon be made aware of that fact in gruesome fashion; the water was left crashing unnaturally and its' surface was given a faint but ominous glow with the sheer volume of Grimm which lurked close to the surface and whose eyes shone with a light which the water diffused; deeper beneath the surface were the true horrors however, massive Grimm with aquatic, amphibious, crustacean, cephalopod or simply monstrous natures which lurked and waited for some final signal with their more predatory instincts kept carefully in check. Airborne Grimm were being kept hidden and in check for the moment, airships, fighter craft and salvos from both naval vessels and Hunters interspersed throughout the gathered enemy forces had managed to punish and cut down any winged monster which might grow too bold. Pantheon had secreted flocks and packs of flying horrors elsewhere however, tasking them with ripping into the flanks of the enemy as they drew close and the upper reaches of the fortress and its' spires were currently laden with flying Creatures of Grimm ready to be unleashed at a moments' notice.
Satisfied with their work Pantheon turned their senses outwards, studying the enemy through the eyes of their gathered horde.
Airships were gathered in sizes and numbers which the Grimm General had not seen since Salem herself had ruled the Grimm, their enormous hulls encased within the additional protection of hard-light shields and where a mind with more human instincts might react to that realisation with fear, concern or at the very least a degree of uncertainty Pantheon could only feel a mounting sense of eager hunger. They watched for several minutes, the numberless Grimm allowed them to see the area from all angles and thoroughly understand the arrangement of the fleet which in turn allowed them to make some observations and educated guesses about what form the coming attack would take, though Pantheon was forced to admit to themselves that without proper, verifiable information from a human source which they did not possess that their own assumptions were just that.
Worse still was the fact that Gestalt-Prime and the Megalodon were still nowhere to be seen.
Airships moved in the air, as though expecting further arrivals to their formation at any moment and the smaller, weaker machines which the airborne Grimm delighted in hunting and tearing from the sky at every opportunity began to disembark from larger machines both in the air and on the waves to create a dizzying blur of activity which Pantheon, with keen predatory instinct realised was little more than a distraction to be ignored. Their foe would arrive soon enough and the only real question left to be answered was whether Pantheon wished to see what Gestalt-Prime and their human masters were planning and lure them into a false sense of security or whether they wished to seize the initiative and strike first.
Pantheon made their choice and returned their consciousness to their own physical form.
The Grimm General rose from their throne and let out a wordless snarl as they batted Synapse Grimm aside with their oversized upper arms and their tail, all of which ended in grasping three-pronged claws. As they strode forward however Pantheon's lower arms, much more humanoid in their overall appearance twitched and grasped incessantly as though reaching for something that was not there until, upon reaching the centre of their throne room the Grimm General received what it was they were searching for. Part of the ground beneath them, a mass of violet-tinged black crystal split and cracked and from the fissure black, viscous and congealing Grimm matter, protean in nature but less so than that which filled Spawning Pits began to rapidly rise and take shape; solidifying itself into a new shape which Pantheon's waiting hand clasped around so that they could rip the thing free and study it closely as the wound from which it had emerged sealed shit once more.
A living halberd.
The weapon was comprised of a shaft scaled to fit Pantheon's hulking size, leaving it larger than the average man and wider than the average man could hold comfortably though the Grimm General wielded it with ease; its' surface being a midnight black mass of scaled and sinewy muscle littered with protrusions wore akin to claws and fangs than random jutting bones, the tendons spiralling towards the head of the weapon which consisted of a ring of glowing red eyes set like jewels around an enormous bone blade, roughly hewn in appearance and large enough to pierce a human from hips to throat with a single thrust.
Pantheon was sure it would do similar damage to Gestalt-Prime.
With their weapon ready and their course of action decided the Grimm General unfurled their massive wings and surged upwards with a single powerful flap, safe in the knowledge that their victory was assured and the would be usurper would meet an ending so unequivocally final that their human masters would be able to salvage nothing.
The cycle of creation and destruction would continue, Pantheon, as an avatar of destruction would ensure it.
Qrow Branwen, an indisputably respected figure amongst all across Remnant but also one whose abilities had been limited severely by his injuries was flanked by Carcharodon Gore, the Shark Faunus wearing the ceremonial helmet which served as the crown of his people and his signature black cloak which fanned out impressively in the breeze with his forearm mounted blades already deployed as if he expected the Grimm to board the Nemesis Kharybdis at any moment on the one side. On the other side stood Corvid Xiao Long, his great-nieces' hair blowing in the wind being the only trace of motion of life about her; the Omega Wing was formed up around her and obscuring her face whilst her Semblance allowed her to remain rooted to the ground, utterly unmoved by the ships' motion or the waves.
The three of them stared out at Pantheon's fortress with varying degrees of apprehension.
"What I would give to be amongst those raiding such a place" Carcharodon rasped out, pure-black eyes gleaming beneath his helmets' mask "By rights we should be, you know this….We were amongst the first to respond, we have not backed down or retreated to resupply as others have, we are amongst the most experienced here and….My people did not face Salem directly, this is dishonourable cowardice-"
"Our job is out here" Qrow interjected firmly, but with a note of understanding "We keep the Grimm occupied out here, we make sure that the other Hunter teams can land and make their way inside; we force Pantheon to split their forces before Team FADE deliver a finishing blow from the inside….I understand though; if I were twenty, hell ten years younger I'd be the one taking the risk….Save Eagle and Felix from having to-"
"You don't understand Branwen, as much as you try to" Carcharodon chuckled faintly, more respectfully bemused in his tone than the harsh snapping someone who had not already earned his respect would have been treated to for such presumptions "I don't want to lead the attack and win this battle so that I can spare someone else….The victory is it's own reward; there will never be a moment more worthy than this and your plans will have me skulking at the edge of the battle like a coward. We will meet our ancestors one day Branwen and I will be meeting mine with excuses and missed opportunities"
"And if you were to charge in and your people should fall would you meet your ancestors gladly then?" it was Corvid who spoke, her tone more solemn than usual and her words utterly devoid of her usual puns which drove Carcharodon to madness. The Shark Faunus took a moment to stare at her, turning the words over in his mind and realising that they sounded so odd coming from the former Atlas Specialist whom he had known since they were both students simply because they were words he would have expected from a fellow member of the Frost River Tribe.
He knew immediately who she had heard them from.
"You're learning our ways….It's good to see that Onyx is filling you with more than his-"
"Don't finish that sentence" Qrow interrupted, an irritable note to his gruff tone whilst Corvid herself remained outwardly unflappable; the featureless visor of her helmet keeping her face obscured. Carcharodon let out a wordless snarl at the indignity of being silenced aboard his own vessel before turning his attention towards more important matters.
"Every moment we waste there are more Grimm filling the waters. When do we sound the attack?"
"When our forces our gathered, we wait and do this properly" Qrow answered simply "There are still some ships left to arrive….Including, them"
Those final words hung in the air with a sense of uncertainty and suspenseful nervousness which lingered as Carcharodon cast his approving gaze around the deck of the Nemesis Kharybdis, liquid black eyes sweeping with full alertness from the tower upon which the command bridge was built and where Onyx, Hellion and Helios were gathered and waiting for the final signals; from there he turned his attention to the various tribal glyphs and marking which had been freshly etched into key points of the vessel to satisfy traditions which Carcharodon and his fellow members of Team GORE and the Frost River Tribe refused to abandon no matter how far away their ancestors now seemed. Corvid by contrast turned her gaze outwards, secure in the knowledge that Onyx would be behind her when the battle came; the various readouts of the Omega Wing allowing her to pick out the movements of particularly large or energetic Creatures of Grimm lurking beneath the water and causing the sea to glow faintly with the light from their hateful eyes or to examine the same weak points in Pantheon's fortress that the Blockade Fleet and the demolition teams, including her own brother would be taking advantage of soon enough.
A weakness Corvid had discovered; something which she supposed might fill her with a sense of accomplishment once the mission was complete but until then would simply be a source for concern and fear as she considered everything that could go wrong, every way their enemies or the allies they were forced to tolerate could outmanoeuvre them.
Between the two Hunters Qrow sat, perched within his many-limbed mechanical chair as comfortably his ageing and wounded frame could manage and simply checked his scroll periodically, deep crimson eyes darting to its' screen until finally the message he was expecting flashing across it; coinciding almost perfectly with a chill in the air and a rushing wind which swept over the deck of the Nemesis Kharybdis.
"They're here" Qrow grunted out. Eyes were turned skywards at his words and quickly honed in on a lone transport craft which Corvid and Carcharodon realised Team FADE were aboard. The aircraft was too small to have created such a gust of wind however and the true cause of the disturbance in the air made itself a moment later as its' cloaking field dispersed and brought it fully into view.
The Megalodon.
"My ancestors will curse me for working with such monsters" Carcharodon whispered, a rare hint of fear seeping into his voice whilst beside her Corvid simply looked up in silent disbelief; horrified that her decision to include team MARS in her plans to attack Damascus Nero had seen the younger Hunters held captive aboard the monstrous machine-Grimm.
Qrow had clearly sent word to the other ships within the Blockade Fleet, it was the only way that the presence of the enormous Cyber-Grimm whose undulating body resembled a twisted amalgamation of an airship and some prehistoric marine predator could be accepted without it being immediately fired upon yet still the tension in the air magnified perceptibly; as though those standing on the deck of the Nemesis Kharybdis could feel the fear and revulsion which spread throughout the assembled Hunters and ships' crews in their very bones as the presence of the man who sought to remake Remnant in his own image with the aid of the Grimm appeared in person and displayed his greatest work of perversion yet.
However the moment was broken before those feelings could fester and coalesce into something uglier or more treacherous as a cacophony of screams and roars, hundreds upon hundred of voices layered over one another split the air and the obvious truth of what was about to happen became clear.
"GRIMM INCOMING! IT LOOKS LIKE PANTHEON IS ATTACKING NOW!" Qrow bellowed frantically, his words quickly being relayed to the captain of every vessel within the Blockade Fleet as he gave the order that would unleash the fury that had been steadily reaching its' boiling point between the two gathering forces.
"OPEN FIRE!"
Team MARSZ's journey towards the Blockade Fleet had not been a peaceful or uninterrupted by any stretch of the imagination and the flock of Teryx which they had encountered shortly after leaving Atlesian airspace had been only the first obstacle for the five of them to face.
The Creatures of Grimm were far too active for it to be coincidental even if one were to account for the emotional upheaval of the coming operation, to say nothing of how well placed the individual flocks and swarms had been; it was clear that Pantheon had intended for their minions to serve as eyes and ears further afield as well as a way for the Grimm General to draw first blood through several small ambushes and whilst they were too small, both in number and as individuals to drag down an airship a smaller transport craft such as that which carried Team MARSZ made for an enticing target.
None of the five Hunters were injured and they had ammunition to spare but their voyage had tired them; a journey that had already been expected to take several hours have been made longer and more arduous by incessant waves of monsters which seemed to time there assaults in such a way that their prey never truly had a chance to recuperate until they had finally drawn close enough to the edges of the Blockade Fleet for the scouting Grimm to fall away, replaced instead by the main body of Pantheon's forces. Their transport had taken a small amount of damage, an accumulation of burns, dents and claw marks which had done nothing to reduce its' efficacy and if anything had simply made the machine look more at home amongst those parts of the Blockade Fleet which had weathered the attacks of the Grimm since the living fortress had first erupted from the sea.
Upon taking up their position amidst the various aircraft from which Hunters would be deploying, all more experienced than themselves Team MARSZ had been able to gather their wits and prepare themselves, even if true relaxation was utterly beyond them. They had departed from Atlas at sunrise and after so many hours of travelling and battling against the Creatures of Grimm the sun was now high in the sky and so far from Atlas the skies were an almost perfectly clear blue which, whilst not exactly warm was still far more pleasant than the unforgiving climate of the icy Kingdom.
One could almost picture the setting as peaceful as long as they avoided looking downwards to maintain the illusion.
A chorus of deafening screams tore those illusions away however as they reverberated almost painfully through the cargo hold of the transport.
"Grimm are on the move" Astra's words cut through the last lingering echoes of the initial war cry as the Deer Faunus bust back into view after disappearing into the cockpit for a moment.
"That didn't sound like a small flock either" Stygian noted, visibly bracing himself for what was to come as Astra shook their head with a sense of finality.
"It isn't….This is it"
"Showtime" Regalia breathed out as she adjusted her goggles and clambered onto Clunker, clearly preparing to launch herself at Pantheon's fortress like a rocket. Athena-Jade watched all of this and listened in silence, her fingers curling reflexively around the collapsed form of Heartbreaker without actually drawing the weapon.
Instead she simply stared at Zirconia, whose entire body was now rigid and whose mismatched eyes had a haunted look about them.
"Are you okay?" the Bear Faunus asked gently.
"He's here isn't he?" Zirconia asked simply "Damascus, with Gestalt-Prime….That's what caused the Grimm to attack"
"He is" it was Astra who answered, their voice a barely audible murmur as they confirmed the Grasshopper Faunus's fears "The Megalodon dropped its' cloaking field….It's pretty far away from us though"
"It's okay….We're on the same side. Nero won't order Carmesi to try and do anything here" Regalia assured Zirconia, understanding the concerns' that Astra was already trying to soothe "He won't have the chance, there's too many Grimm to deal with"
"And even if he does, we'll make sure nothing happens to you" Athena-Jade looked in something close to disbelief at Stygian upon hearing the Mouse Faunus's words; treating her partner to the brightest smile she had been able to muster for some time before closing the distance between herself and Zirconia so that she could offer and her own reassurances in the form of an arm around the taller woman.
"Stitch is right" she said firmly "We're a team, all of us"
"Thank you, it means-" Zirconia fell silent as the sound of Grimm in the air intensified and yet was almost drowned out entirely by the thundering impacts of the first volleys of missiles to signal the beginning of the battle; the uproar being followed by a sudden, jolting sensation as the transport which had been hovering in position began to move once again. Team MARSZ shared a series of determined looks, each of them trying to mask their own private fears and doubts until Athena's sapphire blue eyes drifted from Zirconia to Stygian and back again and the realisation of exactly what was at stake fully impressed itself upon her.
She acted, realising that if things went wrong she might not get another chance to do so.
"AJ-" the Bear Faunus reaching up to cup her cheeks caused Zirconia to speak up, only for her to be silenced in the next moment as Athena reached up to kiss her slowly, tenderly but at the same time with a sense of urgency. The kiss lasted for only a few moments until Athena pulled away and without missing a beat crossed the distance between herself and Stygian, one hand keeping hold of Zirconia's as she wiped the looks of sadness and confusion from the Mouse Faunus's face by looping her arm around the back of his neck and pulling him down into an equally thorough kiss.
Breaking away again Athena-Jade used her hold on her two partners to pull both of them into a tight hug, bringing them close enough that she could whisper.
"I love you and I love you" she looked from Stygian to Zirconia "So neither of you get hurt okay?"
It was a sweet moment, one that would naturally require a proper discussion between the three of them at a later date but now Athena was entirely without reservations; she had laid herself bare and it had seemingly worked in her favour.
It was a moment that was doomed to pass as Astra, after giving their own partner one last kiss for good luck informed them all that it was time for Team MARSZ to deploy.
Author's Notes:
Okay let's go people, Chapter 149 and 150 are gonna be the mid-season finale of Vol.09.
Let the fun and games begin.
Had a few fun moments this chapter, in terms of development and action….But now the question is, with half a volume left to go before the ACTUAL finale, just how sideways are things gonna go?
But anyway, let's summarise shall we?:
Of course it's at sunrise, gotta have that drama.
They're bringing the jetbike.
Setting up the way the chapter ended from the very first scene.
You didn't think they were gonna leave without a proper send-off from somebody did you?
Or Ruby probably.
"What's that supposed to mean?" moment.
So Team FADE are inbound and they've been kept back because honestly having the Aura Transfer Machine/Project Inertia close to Pantheon's fortress for longer than it needs to be is an objectively dumb idea.
Eagle is getting dangerously close to invoking Murphy's Law.
Time for the first round of mid-air fighting….And I'll be honest, I usually really struggle to get the flow of a fight in the air right in my head because it's three-dimensional in a way I can't always figure out.
Sentinel Doots….A classic part of FADE.
Surprise, Megalodon spotted.
This is Team FADE's first time seeing it and yeah, that's the appropriate reaction.
Nero was being an absolute shit-bag this chapter and honestly I had fun writing it; he's in his element right now.
He also perfectly deduced who would be carrying the Aura Transfer machine and why….The way he gave Carmesi a look and reminding him "Team MARSZ are fresh out of the academy, they're kids" made me chuckle when I wrote it.
Timing is everything at a moment like this, Nero has his hands full keeping his people from doing something stupid.
Teryx have honestly become one of favourite Grimm for fight scenes in and around Atlas since they were introduced in canon.
Okay so I made a post about this when I first wrote this, but that was back in the middle of October….RWBY really does give you the opportunity to write some incredible action-scenes with a flavour that you just don't get anywhere else; things like 'Using a hard-light surfboard to give a terminal, flying Chelsea Grin to a velociraptor dragon.
And this might still be my favourite way to write these kinds of fight scenes, jumping from perspective to perspective as characters interact.
Athena's move with the extra arms and the laser was actually the first part of this scene I had the idea for.
Stygian's perspective can be hard to write from because of his Semblance, he's in and out of action and from one place to another in a blink of an eye without really interacting with stuff beyond an initial hit.
The loss of the arm is definitely still messing him up, to the point of ripping limbs off of Grimm actually makes him pause.
Nice save from Regalia….And she's really pushing Clunker to its' limits to do it; it's supposed to hover above the ground, not actually fly.
Surprise, Astra was still on board and keeping Grimm from attacking the transport by gunning them down as they got close.
And the scene comes full circle as Zirconia comes in with the assist.
So Pantheon has been busy over the last couple days, they've been doing some spring cleaning and getting a welcome party ready for Gestalt-Prime.
All mind-scape stuff aside we're gonna get to the fun stuff soon enough, like face to face confrontations.
But first, even with four arms, a tail with a claw and the fact they're eighteen feet tall Pantheon is gonna avoid taking chances and grab themselves a living weapon….They had Flesh-Seeker the living trident in FADE, now they've got a halberd.
And a similar scene, from the other side as it were….But at least Qrow's got people to talk to.
Carcharodon was always a fun character to write.
I like that even Car was disturbed by the Megalodon….he's seen some shit, but that thing really does take the cake.
And now that the Megalodon is here Pantheon can start the festivities, which means Qrow gets to start the attack….I was gonna have him let Corey do it but honestly, be professional.
Okay so Team MARSZ are here, it's been a hell of a trip but they managed to get here before Team FADE/Nero.
When Regalia said "Showtime" I want you all to know that in my head she said it exactly like Mr. Incredible.
Everyone's got Hops's back….But yeah, she really doesn't want to see Damascus right now; for good reason.
But MOST IMPORTANTLY; you go AJ, get 'em girl.
Thank you to MajorBrony95 for their review on the last chapter.
You'll be surprised by Nero, that's all I'm saying on that.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.