Author's Notes
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!
Could it be? Is it so? It...It is! The new story alarm is going off! Say hello to 'Can I Make it to Summer?'
When Raven Branwen's (now ex-) husband runs off, leaving her alone with a blonde bundle of joy named Yang, she has no idea how a former bandit with no child-raising skills like her is supposed to last on her lonesome. Winter's icy embrace is on the horizon, and without any money or a job, tragedy might follow. With no other option, Raven calls Summer Rose, the leader of the team she quit nearly a year ago, for help in sorting out her troubled life and very troubled family. But she soon finds that there's a lot more she needs to learn from Summer than how to fold blankets or change diapers if she doesn't want her little household to come apart before the year's end.
Together once more, the women of Team Stark must work through their own guilt from the break-up of their team, mutual uncertainty towards who has the rights of motherhood over Yang, and the developing emotions they feel towards one another, all while nurturing a child so young she hasn't even seen her own first birthday.
A fic for the normies, now posting! Be sure to check it out, Rat's Nest.
Happy rats, and don't do crime!
Chapter 35 – To Aberrate
In which Weiss Schnee finds herself trapped in a scene ripped straight out of a horror movie.
"Grimm…humans? And Grimm-Faunus?"
The idea might've been sillier than it was horrifying if not for the absolute certainty with which Torchwick said it. There was no hint of this being some sick prank where Torchwick had paid off Yang to jump out and scare Weiss or something. Every instinct was telling Weiss that Torchwick was telling the truth, or at least that he believed every word of what he said.
"He called them Amalgamations, and they were purely theoretical. From the village in which she was residing at the time, Sensei Shiriganai was tasked with bringing Merlot to justice, a job remotely assigned to her by the council that had permitted Merlot's disastrous research and wanted him silence in order to preserve their own reputations. Thus, she and her pupil – that's me – weren't told exactly what to expect when we tracked him down to his island. We found him and his research, but my Sensei…did not survive the encounter." Torchwick's fists balled up so tightly that Weiss could see his knuckles practically popping from rage.
"And Merlot?" Weiss asked, forgetting sympathy as fearful curiosity overwhelmed her.
Torchwick tore his eyes away from Weiss and frowned a vile frown. "I killed him. Two shots with one of his guard's Dust rifles through the stomach. He's dead, I'm sure of it. No one could have survived that, and if he did, there's no way he got off the island before it was leveled by the airdropped bombs – Vale took no risks with their secret. Even I struggled to walk out of that mess alive. He's dead, Weiss. He has to be dead."
You say you are, but you aren't so sure, are you? Without a body in front of you, you don't know for certain whether or not you killed him.
"I try to live by my Sensei's code, and that includes a strict line on how falling victim to our own slavish desires for vengeance will yield ruin, but…he has to be dead, Weiss. He has to." Torchwick grabbed the hair on the back of his head with both fists. "I just don't know."
Weiss phrased her next words carefully. "Suppose – hypothetically, of course – that Merlot somehow survived."
Torchwick shivered. "Then he would have immediately run back to the one remaining place on Remnant where he could access the equipment necessary for finally realize his dream of the Amalgamations after his island laboratory was destroyed."
Mountain Glenn. The original lab where he first theorized of his human-Grimm hybrids. It didn't take a genius to realize just how real the danger had become.
For fuck's sake, we were hoping to find dead bodies, not become them! But this is Roman Torchwick – he's a liar and a cheat. I can't trust a word out of his mouth.
That sounded like a truly great idea. Ignore the professional huntsman and continue along with the plan of traipsing out into the night alone in search of Mercury Black's body through the entire giant city of Mountain Glenn, which was crawling with regular Grimm and potentially something far, far worse.
I need to talk this over with the team. I can't make this kind of choice alone.
Weiss wasn't apart from the rest of Team RWBY for long. They'd only been separated for a few minutes, but it somehow felt like much longer.
"Some firewood, courtesy of the firecracker. And Blake."
Yang dropped the lumber into a pile on the floor, kicking up some dust and sending a wave of it in all directions.
"Darn it, Yang! Oh, I'm gonna have to wipe down the stove again!"
"Heh…s-sorry, sis." Yang awkwardly rubbed the back of her head. "Here, I'll help ya"
It was in that moment that Weiss realized just how burdensome the gift of knowledge could be. Torchwick had been thrifty with the details to her and her team before, claiming that he didn't wish to worry them by loading them with the harsh weight of the truth.
Team RWBY…they were so carefree right now. Could Weiss truly interrupt that and pass on her own heart-shaking worries about humanoid Grimm abominations beyond comprehension?
But what other choice do I have? They're either here or not, and remaining ignorant will only endanger my girls in the event that it's the former. I have to tell them.
Before she could open her mouth, Torchwick's gaze fleetingly fell on her for but a moment, and he shook his head.
Not now, he seemed to say. Just think it over first.
There was nothing to think over. Weiss needed to tell them.
But…perhaps, in the interests of appeasing our apparent mentor and ensuring our first night is a quiet one, I'll do so tomorrow morning, when I can get some privacy with the team. Fear would attract the Grimm, and it'd be better to reveal the truth during daylight hours.
"Ruby, I'd like to switch with you so that I may take first shift on lookout duty when we go to sleep," Weiss said to the girl as she cleaned off the stove.
From there, she would merely pass on the message to the second lookout to hold off on the search for Mercury's body, she they would pass it on to the third, and she to the fourth. It wasn't as though they would have anything to do with the body after all, now that their plan to have their chaperone handle it was shot.
We're going to need to sit down and discuss our next steps as a group at some point, and we can't do that with Torchwick watching. I'll raise the topic of these theoretical Grimm-hunter Amalgamations then.
"Fine by me," Ruby said, pulling some heatable ration packs from her bag. "But for now, let's get started on dinner. It's already super late, and I'm starving."
Dinner was a cozy affair with the five of them all stuck together in the Huntsman Barracks of Mountain Glenn, but Weiss had a bit of trouble relaxing any time a minor noise came from the city outside. The other girls thought it was Grimm, something they could handle with easy, but Weiss couldn't help but worry if there was something far more dangerous out there, lurking in the midnight. It didn't help that the building in which they spent their time was missing some holes in the walls, giving anything creeping outside a perfect view of the Faunus and humans inside.
If Torchwick made up some slop about hybrid Grimm to get me off my game and flinching at shadows, it's surely worked.
But somehow, she found herself doubting that. So far, Torchwick's lies – fighting the paladin, coming to Beacon, his interest in Team RWBY – were transparent, and Weiss had seen right through them with ease. This time, however, she wasn't seeing the same signs. Just as he'd displayed genuine distaste for the general of Atlas at the Beacon prom, she was picking up the real sense of fear he exuded here.
If there truly is a Grimm-experimenting madman at large, does that take precedence over stopping a murderer in huntsman's clothing? Our mission is to rescue botanists, after all, not to expose Torchwick.
Magical ivy, hybrid Grimm – there're so many things here that feel like they're straight out of a science fiction novel that I'm struggling to believe any of it. It would be so simple if it were all just Torchwick playing mind games with me. Please, just let it be that.
Was that the truth? Or was Torchwick truly a misunderstood hero, and the junior had been the base liar? Was it a mix of both?
The only thing Weiss knew for sure was that the truth lay somewhere within the walls of Mountain Glenn, and she had every intention of finding it before this week was up.
Night fell, and the unease within Weiss rose. If she had been unsettled during dinner, being the only person awake was even worse. To prevent her stomach from boiling like a pot of water, she'd not hesitated to unsheathe Myrtenaster and keep it raised like a security blanket for comfort.
If anything comes my way, I'm a huntress. I can fight it off. I refuse to be a scared child, frightened of the monsters lurking in the dark.
But a part of Weiss knew that out here, every child's worst fear could truly be found roaming around outside. It was a miracle her distress hadn't attracted every Grimm in the vicinity; it was probably due to them thinning out their numbers during the day.
Faunus night vision meant Weiss could still see in the nighttime, but that didn't mean she had just as much visibility as she did during the daytime. Humans tended to overestimate just how good the power was, often assuming that it made no difference whether the lights were on or off. Night vision was nothing more than enhancing what little light there was and making the most of it, which meant that the world was still dark for Weiss. She could see, but the primal sensation of whatever animal or primitive being that the Faunus had evolved from was still telling her to retreat to safety from the night, just as it did for humans.
This is the first time I've been truly afraid since I had night terrors of Yang tearing my wings apart.
Just like it had been back then, her current fear was an irrational one, and Weiss knew it, but that didn't mean she could stop her hands from fidgeting on the hilt of her rapier. Truthfully the only option was to wait until her two hours passed and Ruby got to be the one to watch their perimeter.
A cricket chirped, and Weiss nearly summoned a Glyph to destroy it.
This is getting out of hand. I need to calm down. From now on, short of a Grimm or one of Merlot's Amalgamations crawling into our campsite, I'm not going to get up from my seat.
As the upper floors of the building had been cleared, Weiss felt comfortable turning her back to them. Thus, she sat on one of the concrete stairwells that led to them. It gave her to optimal vantage point over her sleeping teammates and professor as well as the numerous holes in the walls through which moonlight poured.
Click-click-click-click
There was a noise from outside, and Weiss had to place both hands on her lap and consciously focus on not growing anxious over it. It was just a stray noise of the night, and she was practically an adult. Whatever it was, there was no need to be afraid of it.
Click-click
The noise continued on, as did Weiss' pounding heart. It wasn't the sound of a Deathstalker, and they were the only Grimm native to Vale that clicked, so it couldn't be a Grimm. It was close, though. Close enough to potentially be something that was similar to a Deathstalker but not –
Enough, Weiss. There's no benefit to pointless conjecture. Remember how worked up you got over Torchwick working for father, and look how far that train went.
Click-click-click
Click-click-click
Weiss sat perfectly still, and it did nothing to make the clicking noise go away.
Click
Click
Click-click-click-click-click-click
Alright, enough was enough. Whether or not it was a Grimm, a human, or anything in between, Weiss would have no peace of mind until she settled this matter and got to the bottom of it. After all, she was the designated lookout, and it was up to her to scope out and assess potential threats to her teammates' well-being.
Myrtenaster rose, but now that Weiss had decided she was in confrontation mode, the fear was gone. It was the unsureness, the lack of certainty as to whether or not the threat was credible, that had frozen her solid like the ice of her home kingdom. Simply choosing to believe that it was an enemy out there that needed to be put down robbed Weiss of her tremors and returned the once-lost courage to her.
The clicking was coming from outside the building, meaning Weiss would have to briefly depart, but unless Torchwick tried something (and she doubted he could get up without making enough noise to alert her), there was no risk to stepping outside momentarily, just for a peek.
Weiss got down low, to avoid presenting a large target to whatever monster lurked in the street. It made moving slower, as she needed to awkwardly bounce from one leg to the other, but slower was probably synonymous with safer in this case.
Click-click-click-click
What had previously been a mystery was now the enemy's war cry, and Weiss was fully prepared to destroy whatever Grimm was making the clicking noise. Perhaps it was a damaged Deathstalker, or a smaller one, or even a genetically modified one, but no Grimm had ever passed by Myrtenaster's tip and survived to tell the tale before, and Weiss trusted her own strength to dispatch this clicker.
Click-click-click-click-click.
Surprisingly, the sound seemed to get softer the close to its source she got. That either meant that it was hearing her and shutting up, or that it was moving away.
I'd prefer the latter, as it would mean I've scared this thing off, but I need to verify it either way.
As she continued to close in on the unknown entity, the sound only continued to get quieter, supporting the theory that it was further away. By now, she'd crossed the broken-up road entirely and was traversing through the alleyways between the buildings on the other side, but when she turned around, she could still see Torchwick sleeping. Emboldened, Weiss pushed further.
Click-click-click
The sound was finally starting to get louder, and Weiss picked up the pace. If she could push forward just a little further and catch whatever was out there unawares, victory would be hers for the taking.
I know I can move faster than it. I just need to do so without tipping it off to my presence.
Click-click
Almost there. Weiss gripped her sword tighter and lightly jogged to the end of the alleyway, giving her a clear view of the next street over.
Click
Weiss jumped out, Myrtenaster blazing with Fire Dust and at the ready to incinerate the Grimm.
Except it wasn't a Grimm.
"What the shit?" Weiss murmured under her breath.
It was a robot? An extremely small robot at that, about the size of a toaster and roughly the same shape, wheeling forward in a straight line.
Click-click-click-click-click
There was a pulsating red light that came on and off at the top of the small, box-like machine, and Weiss could see the black lens of a camera on the far side of it. For such a tiny robot, it moved surprisingly nimbly.
"Why –"
Her back broke.
"GRRRRRAOOOO!"
Weiss flipped around as the sharp pain in her spine spread out across her entire body and caught a glimpse of the underside of a Creep's foot just before it stamped down on her face. The Grimm had somehow snuck up on her while she was distracted by the small droid, and she was now underneath it. The heavyweight Grimm was enough to prevent her from raising her sword to it merely by standing atop her arm, and she couldn't angle it to point the tip towards it for a Dust attack. Weiss was truly pinned.
Curse my hubris! I was so concerned about the clicking to my front and Torchwick to my rear that I never even watched out for anything else!
"GRAAAAHHHHR!"
Her aura protected her from being crushed under the weight of the Grimm – which, she noticed, was not a hybrid or part-human – but it wasn't going to last for long. If she could just get the attention of her team…but the Grimm's other foot had stamped down on her chest, and the air was knocked out of her lungs. All Weiss could manage was a whisper, one so soft that her own ears couldn't even hear it.
Blake…Ruby…save me…
Then, suddenly, the Grimm shifted its weight, and the crushing pressure on her ribcage was relieved. Weiss gasped for breath, sucking in as large a gulp of air as she could in her brief moment of unburdened inhalation.
But the Grimm didn't stop there. Retreating even further backwards, it let go of her entirely and tumbled to the ground. Rather, it was thrown to the ground.
Behind it stood Roman Torchwick.
"W–"
"Quiet, my friend," he firmly said, but with desperation in his eyes. "Don't scream."
Then, as silent as the grave, he twirled his cane twice and dove onto the Grimm. Weiss could only watched as he battered the Creep, surgically targeting its limbs with enough precision to snap both legs before it could even attempt to snap at him with those massive jaws.
The Grimm opened its mouth to roar again, but Torchwick shoved his entire leg into the gaping jaw and kicked the tongue into the roof of its mouth. Grabbing the lower jaw with both hands, he pressed down and snapped the Grimm's entire head to break its neck, killing it. Throughout the entire altercation, he made no noises – no shouts, no coughs, not even a grunt of exertion.
As the Grimm disappeared, his gaze snapped to Weiss. He looked her over rapidly and then began to check the street around them for something.
Click-click-click
"Follow me," he said softly, offering a hand to Weiss. "And don't raise your voice."
"But –"
"Trust me, Weiss. I'll explain as we go, but I've no idea how close he could be, and we can't let him know we're here."
Weiss took the hand, unsure of what was going on, and allowed Torchwick to lift her up to her feet. The robot that had caused this whole thing was just ahead of them, and Torchwick began to jog after it. Weiss hesitated for a second, then decided to go after them.
"It's one of Merlot's," Torchwick whispered to Weiss as they gave chase. "I recognize the design. I guess this means that monster still draws breath…but truth be told, I always knew in my heart he would never perish so easily. I only took us here because I suspected he was behind the disappearance of those botanists. Human experimentation tends to require a lot of humans."
"The robot? It's Merlot's?" Weiss asked. It looked vaguely Atlesian in design, but most mechanics tended to to a certain degree. Even Beacon's own bullhead fleet had a slight Solitasi twinge to their aesthetics.
"A drone," Torchwick said. "Call it a Mark 0.001 of the paladin I destroyed in Vale. It exists for one purpose and one purpose alone – to attract the attention of Grimm. The blinking red light, the noise…they're called to it like moths to the flame."
Merlot's drone…
"It's attracting them to him, isn't it?" Weiss surmised. "That's how he got captive Grimm. He lured them his way and captured them when they were isolated and vulnerable."
Torchwick nodded, flashing a toothy smile. "Your energies are especially clever today, my friend. Those tiny bots were the very instruments that led Mountain Glenn to its ultimate demise. And now, they're active again…"
"…and they'll lead us right to…"
Weiss trailed off, unsure of how to finish the sentence.
To Merlot? To the Amalgamation Grimm? To the truth? She wasn't exactly sure what she was expecting at the end of this chase.
They continued to hunt the tiny drone, keeping hot on its tail as it weaved and zigzagged through the decrepit streets and crumbling buildings, and Weiss observed Torchwick behaving with an enthusiasm she hadn't seen in the professor before. If this truly was his nemesis out there, he appeared dead set on hunting them down.
I just hope the team's okay. We left them alone, but the drone was getting away.
If it is Merlot and Grimm hybrids, they're probably the most dangerous thing fe, Weiss decided. Blake and the others are probably safest if we locate the threat and neutralize it.
After a few minutes of their pursuit, Torchwick suddenly sprinted forwards and caught the tiny droid in his hands. Then, he flipped it upside down. The wheels continued to spin through the air, but without the ground beneath them for friction to propel itself, it was rendered immobile.
"If you listen, you can hear them," he explained. "And I don't want the drone's remote signal tipping Merlot off to our presence here. We go the rest of the way on our own direction. If we're lucky, we can reverse his trap and take him by surprise."
"To arrest him?"
"No," said Torchwick. "Shiriganai tried to catch Merlot. If we find him, we aren't catching him."
The junior had said Torchwick was a cold-blooded killer, having executed his enemies with ruthless precision, and Weiss felt like she could wholeheartedly believe that right now. There was death in his eyes as he gripped his cane and pressed onwards.
He was right about being able to hear them, though. Noises were coming from one of the larger buildings, and Weiss could even see light pouring out through the windows.
"We're almost there," Torchwick said, gritting his teeth. "We've almost got him!"
The building in question was probably about the size of the Schnee manor, and it was the only structure in the entire city that showed no signs of wear-and-tear. There was rigid metal plating covering all sides like a giant steel turtle, and Weiss could feel the anticipation make her sweat.
There's…There's actually something out here. I can hardly believe it!
"Stay back, my friend!" Torchwick held out an arm, stopping Weiss before she could continue to run forward. "We are two, and he has who knows how many guards or Amalgamations with him. Our only advantage is the element of surprise, and we can't risk it by rushing in without knowing what's inside."
Weiss pointed to one of the small round windows that was much higher than ground level. "Then let's find out."
"You can fly up there?"
Weiss nodded.
"Okay." Torchwick rotated his cane within his grip. "Okay. But let me know what you see. And don't be seen, my friend."
It took caution to not make any sound as her wings beat, but Weiss managed to get enough lift to propel herself upwards towards the window and get ahold of the frame of it. To Weiss' surprise, the window could actually be opened, and it wasn't locked.
Who would be out here to unlock it, I suppose?
It was two glass panes divided into semicircles, and Weiss opened it up by rotating the lower half-circle to overlap with the upper one. It only made a small opening (the window was probably about a foot in diameter), but it was enough for Weiss to hear the sounds that could match what she was seeing inside.
And inside was that which she'd been so desperately searching for in this hellscape.
The truth.
The Amalgamations were just as bone-chillingly horrifying as Weiss had imagined, if not worse. They stood on their hind legs like people, they had legs and arms and heads that were all properly proportioned to match the humanoid body, and yet there was something uncanny about their appearance that shook Weiss to her core.
They were shaped like humans, but their bodies were all roughly the same build and size as Ghira Belladonna after having eaten himself into a food coma. Their arms resembled those of Beowolves, ending in excessively long fingers that dragged on the ground as they walked. All of them had hunches in their backs, with a variety of spiked protrusions sticking out and giving them an almost hedgehog-like appearance. They were all of them identical save for the rough outlines of their heads, which were blackened human or Faunus faces with large bug-eyed Grimm pupils. Their mouths were probably the only unaffected parts, and they seemed to be fully capable of speech from the voices Weiss could hear.
Weiss counted twenty of them, and that was just in the frame of view she could see through the small window. However, that view also included the most important sight in the room.
"Dee negzt bash has bin formed, doc-tar. L is sugg-sez."
"Excellent," said the refined voice of a middle-aged man. He raised a fist and shook it at the air. "With any luck, they shall be my finest Amalgamations yet!"
Weiss could clearly see him, and his entire face was covered in bluish-gray hair. From the point of his small beard along the sideburns the fed into his many tufts of long hair, he did not look like a well-groomed man. However, it appeared to be by choice and not the result of being on the run or something, as his Atlesian coat was crisp and ironed free from any and all wrinkles. He was a pale man, much like man of the residents of Weiss' own sun-deprived kingdom tended to be.
However, what was easily the most striking feature of his was the missing human eye, replaced by a glowing red Grimm one.
He was currently seated in a large swivel chair with a series of computer monitors behind him. Their screens were too indistinct for Weiss to make out at her distance, but it appeared to be graphs on one and some sort of calculations on two others. Merlot's attention was currently fixed on the crowd of Amalgamations before him.
"A-5, you are dismissed. H-33, give me an update on the training regimes."
The Amalgamation that had spoken bowed and departed, and another one from the crowd stepped forward.
This on spoke with far more grace. "Sir. The newer batches are displaying equal vigor but signs of greater intelligence compared to our progenitors. I recommend we terminate Batches A through D and utilize the components to form more soldiers."
"Denied, H-33, and if you ever find yourself having these ideas again, I advise you keep them to yourself. All of my Amalgamations shall be needed when the time comes to seize the kingdoms."
Torchwick had been right about this man's ego – he clearly was playing God with these creatures. Weiss let go of the window she'd been hanging off of and dropped down into the darkness of the real world once again as the implications of what he'd been saying sank in.
Batch L would imply he'd made twelve or more, and if they number up to the thirties (the smart one was H-33) that means he could have hundreds of soldiers, if not more. And they're only getting more dangerous.
Torchwick was upon her as soon as she descended. "What did you see, my friend? Was it Merlot?"
"Blue-gray hair, about fifty-years-old, and beards all around? That sound like him?"
Torchwick nodded.
"Oh, and he's also surrounded by Grimm-human hybrids."
Torchwick's mouth fell open, and for the first time, she got a look at what true fear looked like on the man. "He's…He's actually made them?"
"Four-hundred, in theory, though I could only see twenty or so in the room with him. He mentioned training regimes and new batches."
"He…He…"
"Sir, we've got to stop him," Weiss insisted. "He was talking about a full-scale invasion of the kingdoms. Mountain Glenn is only a train-ride away from Vale. If he can get Amalgamations past the city walls, there'll be nothing stopping them from seizing the city and doing untold damage."
"Merlot is…" Torchwick stepped back, stumbling slightly. "I thought he…I was so sure he'd died…"
"Sir!" Weiss hissed, taking care not to announce their presence too loudly. "Sir, get ahold of yourself! It's just you and me against them, but if we go for the head of the snake, we can stop it before it ever starts. Is Merlot a huntsman? Does he have aura?"
"I can't…Sensei, I can't…"
Weiss didn't have time for this man to mentally break down, not when they were on the doorstep on a lunatic scientist's lair. Apologizing to herself for breaking her vow to not touch without approval, she slapped him. Hard.
"Torchwick! Sensei! Whatever the fuck you call yourself! Get it together! You and I are all that's stopping Vale from becoming another one of this." Weiss gestured with her full arm to the ruined city blocks around them. "Roman, I need you with me, right now! It's up to us…my…ugh. My friend."
"I…I apologize." He shook his head violently back and forth, blowing out his cheeks as he did. "Forgive me for my loss of composure, Weiss. I was too trapped in my own head to get out of it, but you seem to have rescued me from myself. You're right – we do need to stop him."
Torchwick's cane was up in a flash, pointed at the armored exterior of the building. "Let's show them who we are, my friend."
Weiss nodded. "We still need a way in."
"A way in?"
Weiss and Roman turned around to see the rest of Team RWBY behind them.
"Blake! Girls! You're here!"
"Ruby had to pee and saw you guys running," Blake explained.
"So what's in the heap of scrap metal that's got you and the teach so worked up, Schnee?" Yang asked.
"Mad scientist with an army of hybrid Grimm-humans prepared for world domination," Weiss answered. She coarsely described the situation at hand in quick enough terms to give her fellow huntresses all the info they needed to join the fight without a disadvantage. "Just, you know. The usual."
"Woah." Yang whistled. "Bitchin'. And we need to stop 'em?"
Weiss nodded.
"Sounds good. Rubes, you wanna do the honors?"
Crescent Rose unfurled from behind Ruby's back and slammed into Yang's stomach with enough force to activate her semblance and light up the dark block of street around them.
"So much for surprise," Torchwick groaned, rubbing his forehead.
"Yang Xiao-Long's too loud and proud to go about sneaking like a bitch." Yang flashed her cockiest smile and pressed her fists together, producing a small burst of flames. "Let's party."
"We're up against a larger fighting force," Weiss pointed out, realizing that her team had likely just recently awoken to a surprise firefight/brawl. "They outnumber us about eighty to one."
"Eighty Grimm-people each?" Ruby asked.
"Yup." Weiss popped the P. "And before you even ask, they are legit. I checked."
Blake folded her arms and smiled at Weiss. "I didn't even say anything, Schnee."
"Everyone ready?" Weiss asked one last time.
The three huntresses-in-training and one professional huntsman of the mission to Mountain Glenn nodded in unison at their leader.
Myrtenaster proudly pointed at their target. "Then let's go."
Yang took four steps forward, leaned her entire body back, and tore a gigantic hole through the armored wall by slamming her forehead right into it.
Omake (a dying breed in recent RatCrimes works)
Weiss: *doesn't want Torchwick*
Ozpin: *gets Torchwick anyways*
Weiss and the Torchwick: *this chapter*
Next Chapter: Shiriganai
In which Weiss Schnee finally comes to understand her Sensei.
Author's Notes
Toaster bot is actually the canonical character Sienna Khan. I just couldn't find a way to explain the full lore without getting too wordy and exposition-heavy.
We've got the certified Epic Fight Scene starting first thing next chapter. No more sneaking around and shit; like Yang wanted, it's time for action.
Happy rats, and don't do crime!