Chapter 2: Combat Ready
Team CABL believed their first mission would be a cozy introduction at Beacon and school life.
They were wrong.
The first order of business was investigating a White Fang outpost.
The aura enhancing weapon Prometheus's tracker had gone off again after having been deactivated near Beacon.
It happened to go off outside Vale's walls in the Grimm infested forests left by civilization.
It led them to an abandoned warehouse flooded with Grimm.
"So, boss how are we handling this?" Ash questioned looking at the run-down White Fang outpost with over a hundred Beowolves walking in and out of the building.
"WE aren't doing anything; I need to see your combat abilities so YOU will handle the Grimm" Winter stood above the group that stared at her.
"Clear the area; Don't expect any help from me" She sternly spoke.
"Show me what you're worth."
That activated the group as they all jumped out to meet the Grimm.
Team CABL was no longer in their uniforms now dressed in their personal combat attire.
Cobalt wore white combat armor with solid blue lines trailing his chest plate and boots, he had a Halo Spartan like helmet that had a solid red visor.
The Beowolves would notice the team's descent running forward at them.
Cobalt's weapon was 'Mjolnir' a white light machine gun the size of a canon.
It let loose a barrage of bullets tearing the Beowolves into pieces.
A group of Beowolves fell from above hiding in the trees as Cobalt jumped back.
Pressing a small button on the side of the light machine gun had the barrel alter into that of a shotgun.
He avoided a slash from a Beowolf by firing a shot letting the recoil throw him backwards.
The Grimm charged Cobalt jumped side to side avoiding attacks from the Grimm while firing spreads of bullets that ripped the Grimm to shreds.
He saw more approaching from a distance pressing another button turning it into a high impact sniper rifle.
He crouched taking aim hitting four perfect headshots causing the creatures to dissipate.
He broke the gun in half becoming two massive SMGs laying down a suppressing fire into the horde of Grimm that was rushing from the surrounding forest and inside the warehouse.
"My turn!" Loki exclaimed.
He wore a simple green hoodie with black pants and shoes having only small shoulders pads and rudimentary armor on him.
He pulled out his weapon 'Bes' a grey boom box that he would slam into the ground.
Pressing a button, it would send a shockwave launching three dozen Grimm in multiple directions.
More came with two Beowolves flanking to his left and right.
He kicked up the boom box a handle shooting out the bottom turning it into a boom box hammer.
He spun around crushing the skulls of both of the Grimm as he would slam it again into the ground to send more Grimm flying with the powerful sonic waves.
Blaidd stared peacefully at a bird flying by.
"Blaidd! Focus up!" Cobalt called out continuing to fire.
Blaidd snapped out of his bird watching gracefully jumping into the air avoiding a bite from a Beowolf before landing on the ground.
He wore a black cloak that covered his entire body, underneath was a simple crop top that was primarily black with purple accents in addition to similarly colored pants.
The wolf Faunus had no weapon only his semblance.
He stomped his foot causing several spikes made out of black ice to appear from the ground piercing the charging Grimm.
Blaidd created two ice daggers.
He then speeds blitzed through the Grimm slashing at the creatures' leaving clouds of dust made out of remnants of the Grimm.
Jumping off of a creatures head he fell downwards slamming his fist into the ground making a rain of ice arrows fall from the sky.
"Prove what you're worth…I'll show you what I'm worth" Ash stated frustratingly.
He wore an old western inspired outfit having a grey hat and vest alongside a red button up underneath above his grey pants that had a black raven embroidered into it.
His weapons were "Bonnie" and "Clyde" a pair of dark red revolvers that he drew with inhuman speed to shoot at the group of Beowolves.
He would soon transform his revolvers into long swords cutting into the wolves like butter using fire dust to give his blades a melting effect.
His speed was amazing even among huntsman, and his technique while rough was incredibly precise, however that isn't what made Ash one of Atlas's most well renowned fighters.
Cobalt would have a wolf sneak up on him coming behind.
In an instant, Cobalt and Ash swapped places the hunter in training cutting down the creature immediately switching back with the high strung solider.
"God I'm still not used to your semblance" Cobalt said feeling disoriented from the experience.
"And you never will!" Ash joked cutting through more Grimm.
The four students worked as a four-man army tearing through the horde for an hour until the only thing remaining in the area was them and the warehouse.
They walked in the only sound being panting and heavy breathing from the team.
"Are…we…wo…worthy…now? "Ash panting holding his legs.
"We got a move forward" Cobalt clearly spoke the only one not visibly tired tapping the communicator on the side of his helmet.
"All clear Ms. Schnee"
No reply.
"All clear, awaiting further instruction."
No reply again.
The four looked at each other confused.
Cobalt would attempt to contact Winter a third time only to hear footsteps approaching from inside the warehouse.
A girl wielding a massive scythe began to approach them from the shadows.
She wore a snake Grimm mask.
One of the three White Fang members that had targeted the convoy carrying 'Prometheus'.
She had an outfit identical to Adam Taurus except with a combat skirt inside black pants.
With short black hair and small frame, she seemed young for a wanted criminal.
"Weren't we ordered to not engage…?" Loki asked giving a fearful chuckle.
The team was exhausted from the worn-out fight but remained composed pulling out their weapons.
She simply continued to walk forward weapon drawn.
"We have to retreat back to the transport; we'll lay down a suppressing fire th- "Cobalt began to make a plan being cut off by the women suddenly appearing in the middle of the team.
She was impossibly fast.
Ash responded quickly pulling out both blades swinging at the women who disappeared reappearing behind him.
She cut at Ash sending him flying in the air slamming against a wall his aura managing to block the majority of the damage, but it caused his aura to plummet and couldn't stop some of the blade from cutting into his side.
Blaidd made an ice axe clashing weapons with the White Fang member as Cobalt and Loki appeared to her left and right swinging at her.
She disappeared again.
In three quick slashing she sent the team flying towards Ash rolled out of the way as they all slammed against the wall.
"Ow…." Loki groaned.
They all began to get up as the women continued to stare them down.
"She's kicking are butts" Cobalt noted getting off the floor.
"Thanks for the astute observation commander fucking obvious" Ash mocked.
"Frost and Thunder!" Cobalt called out one of their codes as Loki and Blaidd nodded.
Blaidd made a massive square chunk of ice in front of Loki.
"Batter up!" Using his hammer, he swung at the ice activating his weapons shockwave causing the ice to fly towards their assailant breaking apart into a hail of ice shards.
She tightly gripped her scythe using the massive weapon as if it were a small dagger deflecting the shards of ice.
This was a move that even a huntsman such as Winter would have had trouble defending against considering its speed and attack power.
"Renegade Solider" Cobalt grabbed Ash using his strength to chuck him into the air.
Cobalt turned his weapon into a grenade launcher with Ash smirking at the women before swapping positions with her.
Helpless in the air, Cobalt fired four grenades at her.
She would fire a shot from her scythe that also acted as a sniper rifle using the recoil to launch her away from the grenades and back to the ground.
Cobalt remained composed on the outside but was panicking internally seeing two of their best team attacks be avoided like they were nothing.
"If you thought these low lives could do me in you were mistaken" Winter appeared throwing two White Fang members who had strange spherical devices on their wrists.
Winter had a bruise on her cheek and cut on her lip protruding blood.
The women looked at Winter readying her blades giving hope back into the students who would ready themselves to provide support for the elite huntress.
The White Fang commander took a second to process the situation.
In the blink of an eye, she would vanish in thin air.
Winter stayed on guard for a minute giving a sigh of relief1 along realizing that the threat was gone.
"Ms. Schnee are you alright?" Cobalt questioned the team running to her.
"Yes, these two snuck up on me I thought they'd be easy to subdue but these things on their wrists made them almost invulnerable for a time" Winter gestured to their bracelets.
"For the time?" Loki questioned observing the design.
It was definitely Atlesian more advanced than anything you'd see in Vale.
"It enhanced their aura remarkably, but it wore off quickly and once it did, they…passed" Winter walked around the warehouse seeing that anything of value was taken long ago.
"They baited us the tracker was used intentionally to bring a huntsman here to test their new weapon and lower our numbers" Winter surmised also assuming that the devices used were a crude form of Prometheus.
'If I had been alone dealing with all of those Grimm, the two invincible Faunus and that scythe wielder…'Winter didn't want to consider the possibility shaking her head.
"We're done here, nothing valuable will be here it was just a trap" Winter stated the team nodding and moving out grabbing both of the devices from the deceased White Fang members.
In the distance staring at the group leaving the warehouse the scythe wielder would hold a radio.
"We've made enough noise Ironwood sent his personal hound" she leaned against a tree taking out a piece of ice that was stuck in her arm.
"Brats…"
"Expected as much…. get back to HQ we're moving into phase three" Adam spoke on the other end.
"We're gonna have to be more careful if Winter's involved it's only a matter of time before Ozpin recalls his own hound" A murder of crows began to fly above as the scythe wielder disappeared into the shadows.
Author Notes:
Thanks for finishing chapter two! Occasionally I'll sprinkle in notes about the story and characters depending on how I'm feeling.
Team CABL or Cabal aren't based off of Fairy Tales as I personally did not have a lot of passion to write characters based off of them because it's a fanfiction, I didn't believe it was necessary. The inspirations range from real people to gods to video game characters. Cobalt's last name 'Sparks' is derived from a WW2 pilot. Ash is based off of Billy the Kid. Loki's reference is pretty clear. And while Blaidd will have more information given his name is based off of a character in Elden Ring and that's as much as I can say currently.
Power Scaling Wise (If you care about that kind of stuff) Ash would be comparable to Pyrrha or Penny. Blaidd would be on the same level as Mercury. Cobalt and Loki would be equal to that of team RWBY members such as Weiss or Yang. They are a powerful team, but they still fall short of actual huntsmen and have their individual weaknesses. I don't want the team to come off as "Wow! My ocs are so powerful and cool! They could solo like any villain in RWBY".
Feel free to leave a review and give any feedback!
