Hello again! As always, thanks for the reviews and everything! Appreciate it!
Also, no music cues this chapter, since it's pretty much playing all the time I guess.
Not much to say other than that, enjoy!
Atlas was one of the most advanced Kingdoms Remnant had ever seen. Its sheer scale of technological prowess was nigh-unheard of, easily spearheading the innovation of the rest of the Kingdoms.
The funny thing was, no one had expected them to become this advanced. One day, they were just the poverty-stricken remains of the Kingdom of Mantle. Of course they had technological advancements they claimed as their own. A large example were the droid and AI projects they had up and running. But all those innovations still came at a cost. The barely-hidden slave labour of the Faunus, the abysmal living conditions of the middle-class, and not to mention the constant Grimm attacks from the negativity.
But then, with a single great discovery, it all changed.
The next day, they were creating research and articles that showcased technology no one had ever seen before. The next month, they had begun crafting weapon advancements for Hunters across the Kingdoms. The next year, they had begun early research and testing droid technology.
And so, for these past 10 years, they became the most advanced entity in all the four Kingdoms.
And all of it was pointed to one man. One General Ironwood, who back then was a mere Lieutenant Ironwood.
It was he who 'discovered' the potential Atlas had. The one who had spearheaded the most advanced units in all of the Kingdoms, and taken in the most advanced enhancements Atlas had.
And it was all because of the first exploration mission he took, 10 years ago, a few years after his graduation from Atlas Academy.
Back then, he had just been 'inducted' into Ozpin's circle, and was beginning to make a name for himself. And in that exploration mission, charting out the uninhabitable Atlas beaches and clearing it from the heaviest Grimm they had ever seen, that he found something remarkable.
The remains of a certain copycat Metal Gear, dragged away to beaches it was never meant to see after the failed cleanup post-Big Shell Incident.
Ironwood took a good look when he first saw it, the gears in his mind running wild. Such a technological marvel it was beyond anything in Remnant, and yet at the same time it looked derelict and ancient. Clearly, this wasn't from any of the Kingdoms. Its power source was completely foreign, it was sending out signals at frequencies totally different from the CCTs, and its database showed history he couldn't make heads or tails out of.
But regardless of this thing's history, he had to look to the future.
With this mech, whatever it was called, he could make unimaginable strides for his Kingdom. Bring them out of this cloud of poverty that they couldn't seem to escape.
And more than that, this 'thing' clearly was a deterrent of some kind. If he could make this new again, dissect it and adjust it to the standards of Atlas and Remnant's Hunters and then some, he could replace Hunters entirely.
No one would have to risk their lives again, to die fighting the Grimm and a war they didn't even know.
And maybe, which such a trump card, they could finally defeat Salem.
Hm… But a trump card was something that no one could know. Something they couldn't risk getting out to the public, or to anyone else.
Not even Ozpin. Only him, and those necessary. The greatest minds Atlas had, whatever it took to convince them.
He didn't mean it as such, of course. But if it took something like that to defeat an evil so great, an evil that haunted their entire existence, then he'd do whatever was necessary.
His Semblance felt so.
SCREEECHHH!
Ruby took a step back as the 'Metal Gear' began to open its mouth. Its white-and-blue paint shone in the night, the moonlight reflecting cleanly off of its Atlas Military logo. Ruby watched with morbid amazement as heat began to collect in its mouth, blazing hot and making a laser beam-!
"MOVE!" Ruby felt herself being tackled to the ground as the laser shot out, just over where her body was. She felt the heat soar past, the sound of the laser almost deafening her ears.
"Oof!" Ruby hit the ground hard, her sister's arms pinning her firmly to the ground. She looked behind her, right at the oceans where the Mistralian fleet was, and felt her heart drop in dismay.
The fleet was almost entirely destroyed by the laser, an effortless single attack by the 'Metal Gear'. Most of the boats had been turned over, hull facing up with flames burning them away. Around them, bodies of its riders floated in the waters dead.
SCREEECHHHH!
The 'Metal Gear' screamed to the skies, striking horror into the hearts of militants and Hunters alike. Before she realized it, Ruby felt herself being pulled by Yang to safety behind an unseen shipping container.
Yang let out a sigh of relief as soon as they slipped past, and she let Ruby go as soon as they were both safe. Ruby looked around her and saw all three of her teammates present. Yang, Weiss, and Blake, all looking at her for her orders.
Ruby calmed herself and firmed her grip on Crescent Rose. She snuck a peek from the edge of the shipping container and saw that 'Metal Gear' stand tall, taller than anything they had ever faced.
Such a wonder of weapons engineering… What method could result in them beating such a thing?
Yang took a peek next to her sister and turned her gaze to the fleets. There were still two boats remaining, thankfully one of them the one with her father.
So what should Team RWBY do next?
Tai grit his teeth as he stood back up. The sailor on his boat had moved them just in time, barely dodging the laser blast. On the corner of his eye, he saw Beryl and the rest of his soldiers ready themselves once more. And there, on another side of the docks, one more ship that had been left untouched.
So this was a Metal Gear…
He narrowed his eyes at the metal monstrosity as he heard RAY screech once more, immediately followed up with it opening its mouth. It was about to fire another laser, and fast!
"Get us out of the water!" Tai shouted to his sailor. "We're sitting ducks out here!"
"Yes, Headmaster!" Tai immediately heard the engine spur back to life and going maximum power, driving them away.
The Metal Gear RAY fired its blast just as the ship began moving.
FWOOOOMMM!
The laser hit right at the spot they once were. And yet, the RAY didn't stop there! It tracked them as they moved. Tai looked behind him as the laser followed them, parting the waters and getting ever closer and closer-!
And then a sudden clang sounded from around the RAY's head. Its head was knocked to the side, and with it its aim was shifted away from the ship and into the empty night sky.
Step!
Raiden landed on the ground right next to RAY's feet, having just kicked its head to redirect its aim. Tai saw him withdraw HF Crocea and immediately get to work on its legs.
With bizarre familiarity, Raiden sliced around the leg of RAY. With ease he dissected its armour, and with a final slice opened its first layer for all to see.
The RAY screeched and lifted its leg, prepared to stomp Raiden flat. Raiden did one final slash on its legs before flipping back, just in time. The RAY slammed its foot down right where he once was, shaking the docks as a whole and kicking up dust in the air.
"We're beached!" Tai's sailor shouted out, and immediately everyone onboard began to get off. The militants, some Hunters he had managed to call to action, and even Beryl.
All except for Tai, who wanted to see the situation first before he got off.
'Wait…' It seemed that the other ship has beached safely too. Good. His eyes shot to his broken fleet. The other ship didn't make it, and no survivors could be seen swimming either.
But then, as Tai's eyes roamed the waters, he spotted another object diving purposefully. And it wasn't a unit from Haven or Mistral.
Tai's eyes widened. 'The submarine!'
His eyes then shot to where Team CMEN previously was. They were gone! That laser scattered their defense and gave them the chance to slip past!
Tai clenched his fist. Damn it, he can't let them get away!
But then…
His eyes shot to Team RWBY, hiding behind a shipping container. He couldn't just leave his daughters behind-!
He heard a crackle from his Scroll and Venom talked to him through his CODEC.
"I'll keep your daughters safe, Tai." The phantom reassured him. "We've dealt with MGs before. But we need someone to catch CMEN, and I'm way too far!"
Tai closed his eyes. The message was clear.
"Get after them, Headmaster! Go!"
Tai's hand slipped to HF Dragonsbreath, and he shot a quick glance to Beryl.
He'll leave this to someone who knew best. Someone other than him.
"Venom's in command of the troops from now." He said solemnly. "Follow his orders, right to the T. I'll be back with their capture."
Beryl gave a short nod. "Of course, Headmaster."
Tai responded with a nod in kind and looked away, for the last time, to his daughters.
Ruby and Yang…
If CMEN escaped, then that meant that this conflict would only be prolonged.
He can't lose his daughters, not ever.
Tai tapped his Scroll one more time and contacted his old partner.
"Qrow." Tai spoke softly. "Please… Keep them safe."
"You didn't even have to ask." Qrow spoke. "Just promise to come back."
"…Don't doubt it." Tai said. "And about-."
"I won't forget what we talked about." Qrow cut Tai off. "Yeah… I won't let her end up like Summer, Tai."
Tai gave a silent nod and turned his Scroll off.
Once this was over, they'll finish STRQ's business once and for all.
And for that, and for his daughters, he will succeed.
Tai tore his gaze away and back to the diving submarine. It was starting to fully submerge now, blending in with the night's pitch-dark waters, but he had just enough time to slip in.
With a roar, Tai focused his Aura to his legs. It enhanced his strength and he jumped off, heading right for the submarine's entrance hatch and shaking the boat beneath him. As he got closer and closer, he saw that the entrance hatch had been closed. Swiftly, he drew HF Dragonsbreath and shot a bullet right at the entrance hatch. It cracked from the bullet, and right as he was above it, Tai withdrew a fist and punched his way in.
SLAM!
The closed entrance hatch was forced to give way, and Tai burst through with all the speed he had. He landed with a slam inside the submarine, fist first and then followed by his knees. He quickly stood back up straight and held his gun ready, the entrance hatch above him being sealed itself with another backup metal sheet as the submarine dove fully under the waters.
He felt the submarine shift as water began to press from all sides. It was diving in deeper and deeper…
Tai's senses picked up his surroundings. The lights in the sub were dim, a mixture of yellow and red. Sounds were silent except the loud white noise of the waters outside as well as the machines inside. The sounds of battle outside were almost silent, and even then growing smaller and smaller. Despite that, there were no visible traces that lead him to the precise location of Team CMEN. And even though this was a small sub, he had no doubt it still had its own separate sectors.
It looked like he had to investigate one-by-one.
Well then, at least they were all worn down. He did plan on returning, after all. He'd prefer for Team CMEN to be captured alive, so they could be interrogated for answers… but then again, at this point anything would do.
With that in mind, Tai steadied himself and began to scour the submarine's interiors, slowly and cautiously with his gun ready at all times.
His footsteps echoed loudly in the submarine's halls, the clangs of boots-on-metal-floors echoing as he trudged down his path alone.
Ruby and Yang saw their father descend with the submarine, into depths of the ocean unknown. Before they could even form their thoughts on that, everyone on Team RWBY heard Ruby's Scroll crackle to life.
"Ruby, it's me." The leader heard Venom's voice from her Scroll. "I need you to follow my instructions. Got it?"
Ruby picked up her Scroll from her hip and nodded shakily as her team huddled around her. "Y-yeah. Sure. But…" She looked back past her team, and saw Raiden slipping past the RAY's stomps. "What about Raiden?"
"We're figuring that out." Venom said. Just as he said that, the RAY lifted its 'wigs' high and opened countless latches that revealed built-in missiles. With a loud screech, the RAY launched all of its Dust-infused missiles at the enemies around it.
Fwoosh!
"Shit!" With that cut transmission from Venom,Team RWBY scrambled from their positions to find safety.
Ruby quickly took point for her Team. "Follow me!" She shouted as missiles flew high in the skies
The missiles reached their peak, and then without pause, made a nosedive for every single infantry at the ground.
WBY voiced their agreement as they ran as fast as they could, the missiles hot on their tails. Their steps were hasty as they forced every bit of Aura enhancement into their legs.
'No!' Raiden saw from down below as the rockets launched themselves at infantrymen around him. 'We can't let it-!'
SCREEEECHHH!
The RAY roared and looked down at Raiden with its still-open wings, mouth open wide for a red-hot laser blast. This thing was multi-tasking! It never did anything like this before!
'Run!' Raiden quickly followed his instincts and ran towards the Metal Gear's charging mouth. He didn't fear the danger, but rather approached it as it grew hotter and hotter.
Raiden grit his teeth as his feet sparked with electricity, getting closer and closer to Metal Gear RAY.
And then, with another screech, the Metal Gear RAY fired its laser full-power at Raiden's position.
'Now!' Raiden slid to the left just before the laser hit him, its hot edges cutting the fringes of his silver hair. Raiden continued to slide forwards, the heat barely missing his body. He continued his momentum, sliding right through the are under the RAY's underbelly and stopping right behind it.
"HYAH!" Raiden quickly ended his slide, turned around, and jumped high into the sky. He noted that the RAY's auto-turrets had tracked him effortlessly and fired with true precision.
'Damn it…!' Raiden grit his teeth and deflected each shot mid-air. Thisprecision was also downright unheard of! What's more, it had fired Dust-infused bullets, specifically ice Dust! Even with each deflection, the joints in his body slowed down from the Dust's effects!
Damn it, how could an AI figure out his off-the-records weakness so easily?!
'Shit!' Raiden reached the peak of his jump and roared, looking down at RAY with HF Crocea raised high to slice it in two. He activated the Ripper with ease, forcing his systems to overdrive and activating his Aura.
"TAKE THIS!" A roar, and the hold the Dust effect had on Raiden broke. With a battlecry, he brought HF Crocea down to slice it in half!
But sadly, his attack never connected.
SLAM!
The Metal Gear raised its tail high and slammed it right at Raiden just as he was about to descend.
"Gaaaah!" Caught off-guard, Raiden felt himself being bitch-slapped down to the ground and then crashing against several shipping containers, each one piling up above his body and burying him in a mountain of metal.
The RAY roared to the skies once more, its missiles soaring in the skies to all its targets. Hunters, Militants, Boats, Bullheads, everyone.
Ruby looked around as she ran. There had to be a safe spot! Somewhere, anywhere! They had to plan, because no amount of team practice ever prepared them for this!
'There!' Ruby found a point where they could safely convene. A rooftop that was just outside the docks, one clouded in darkness so that the RAY wouldn't think to look there. She increased her speed and beckoned her team to follow. "Come on! Let's go!"
"Right behind you!" Yang shouted, and the team ran with a pace that was close to each other. As they made their way, with Ruby leading them with newfound vigour, Weiss risked a look behind her. She unconsciously slowed down in fear at what she saw.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The rockets downright shattered the docks, killing many of their forces. Those with larger amounts of Aura had survived, but they had only just. The sheer destruction a single weapon caused was horrifying.
FWOOOSHH!
Weiss' eyes widened as she saw one from the skies descend blindingly fast, aiming right for her. It wasn't stopping anytime soon, and its aim was true! Weiss hurriedly quickened her pace, catching up with the rest of her team.
Ruby heard the sound of the missile coming in closer and closer, no doubt having latched on to their heats, and she clenched her jaw. Come on, that building was so close-!
"Ruby! It's getting closer!" Blake shouted.
No, not yet, they could still make it! "Faster, guys!" Ruby barked back. "Don't stop now!"
Blake heard the missile grow even closer, and its mechanisms begin to discharge its Dust payload. "RUBY!"
"Now!" Ruby shouted. They had finally reached the building, and all they needed was to reach its top. "Jump!"
They all focused their Auras to their legs and jumped without holding anything back, soaring as high as a Huntress could manage. The sudden change in elevation threw the missile off-track and it blasted right at the base of the building.
Up above, Team RWBY landed safely on the dark rooftop, though without much grace. They all tumbled with relief on the rooftop and came to a stop a few seconds after.
Ruby quickly pulled herself back up and looked over the edge.
Right there, still destroying the docks, was Metal Gear RAY standing tall as ever. It annihilated all that survived. There were only a little more than a handful of soldiers left, and most of the Bullheads had been hit as well. They fell to the ground and crashed to a fiery wreck. Though from the rooftop she was on, she could still spot two notable people. The Huntress that came with her father was leading a pack of soldiers around her, and Raiden was moving the mountains of shipping containers that were stacked above him.
Ruby sighed. They were safely out of the docks now, but if RAY were to escape as well, then Vale would most certainly be finished.
They had to do something, but then… what would that even be?
What was RAY's true weakness?
Raiden groaned as he lifted the crates off of his body. "Jade!" He yelled, "What's the hell is this thing's weakness?!"
Raiden groaned as the pain in his cyborg body stung him in annoyance, but nevertheless he stood back up and held HF Crocea firm in his hand.
Damn it, that shouldn't have happened at all! He knew everything about RAY, from its baseline strength to its reaction and calculation speeds! He had fought so many of these models that he was downright sick of it popping back in and out of his life!
But then… this one was different, wasn't it? It was stronger, faster, and overall much more resistant to his attacks. Even now, after most of his initial attacks…
He glanced to the RAY's foot that he had sliced numerous times before. Where in most RAYs the cables should've been visible by now, instead he was greeted with another layer of Dust-infused armour.
Raiden's CODEC blared to life. "Damn it, I don't know!" Jade shouted.
"What do you mean you don't know?!" Raiden shouted back. He looked back at the RAY, high as ever, and then to the troops on the ground. They were being decimated, and he had to act quick before RAY had a chance to move on to the rest of the Kingdom!
"Project RAY is designed to eliminate the purpose of Hunters in clearing missions." Jade said. "it was designed to be deployed as a single unit in a heavily-infested Grimm area. With a single unit, we could clear way for a new settlement and then some! Replacing Hunters entirely was its baseline objective!"
"How did you even get aMetal Gear in the first place?! Let alone design a new one based on RAY?!"
"A RAY model drifted to shore around ten years ago, Raiden!" Jade shouted. "Atlas managed to scoop it up before anyone else, and we've been reverse-engineering it ever since. Where did you think our rapid advancements came from?!"
"Tch. Looks like cleanup failed after the Big Shell Incident, huh…" Raiden muttered. "So then how strong did you make it?"
"We over-engineered it pretty bad." Jade shouted. "Since it's the only prototype, we couldn't risk letting it be destroyed… so it was made with more fortification and weaponry than previously requested."
Raiden glanced up and down the RAY as Jade explained its features, making correlations between what he was told and what he saw.
"Dust-resistant external armour paired with explosive Dust inner armour. Fire, Earth, Ice, and Wind Dust bullets for its turrets paired with a built-in laser on its mouth. Stronger mechanical motors to compete against Aura-aided Hunter muscle power, with the main focus on its tail and wings. Self-reloading Dust missiles on each wing, with improved heat-tracking and recognition capabilities."
"Dammit…" Raiden growled. "So the armour on the legs is explosive, huh?"
"Once you get past the external ones, yeah. It's designed to deter the Grimm from attacking the obvious weak spot."
"How strong are the explosions? Any weak points there?"
"Explosions are enough to disintegrate ten Ursa majors in an instant. Weakpoints are welded under the foot, so you're not getting a look at it unless you're being stomped."
Damn it! "Will ranged attacks destroy it?" Raiden desperately hoped.
"It'd take a hundred bullets to even make a dent."
"How the hell…" Raiden put a hand to his chin.
The ninja thought hard on the current circumstances. He could certainly win, but it wouldn't be as one-sided as he had thought. What's more, Vale simply couldn't handle damage like he dished out back in Africa.
A Grimm horde from the fight's negativity and the Kingdom would be all over.
As he mulled his thoughts over, the RAY screeched again and both soldiers and Hunters scrambled to attack while getting to safety.
Back then, it multitasked! That meant something with the AI then, right….? Maybe he could use that to beat it in record time!
"Jade." Raiden spoke again, "What about the AI side? Are there any weaknesses?"
"AI? We didn't do anything on that side. We didn't have enough time with the resources we were putting in." Jade said with confusion. "We just copy-and-pasted it from the old model with some slight new parameters. Why's that?"
Raiden shook his head in denial. No, no way that was the case. It was much faster now, much smarter, much sharper, and most importantly much more skilled, which is odd to put for an AI.
Unless…
Raiden looked to the top of Metal Gear RAY's head. Of course!
A slight increase of height in the RAY's head, like a small bump, just enough to fit a pilot! That meant it had lasers as well as a pilot cabin!
And of course, that cabin was surrounded with glass so the pilot could see out, and through said glass Raiden could see light emitting from inside!
It had a pilot! A weakpoint!
"Alright!" Raiden grinned with bloodthirst as he communicated his findings to everyone else through the CODEC. "Everyone! Listen up!"
While he was on the Bullhead, firing potshots from his sniper rifle, Venom felt his CODEC vibrate in his ear as Raiden talked to everyone.
"The RAY's weakness is its human factor! It has a skilled pilot on the top, controlling every inch of the mech and taking us all out!"
Beryl led several members of the reformed Wild Storm around her, all of them firing rifles and machine guns at RAY while making sure each other was safe. Her Scroll rang to life as Raiden issued his findings.
"If we can get to whoever controls it, then the RAY's efficiency will be severely impacted. I can take it from there!"
Qrow dodged and dodged missiles as best he could in his bird form, using all the skills he knew to make it closer and closer to the RAY's wings. Just as he was about to land on one of the wings, the turrets locked on to him and fired a hail of fire Dust rounds.
'Shit.' Qrow dodged the bullets as best he could, forced to fall back and try another angle. As he flew back, he saw Team RWBY standing on the rooftop from the corner of his eye.
He transformed in a safe spot of high-ground and heard his Scroll ring with Raiden's broadcast.
"It's most obvious weakpoint are its legs! If someone knows how to safely disable explosive Dust armour, then I can work my way up to the wings! After that, the pilot will be all mine!"
Everyone on Team RWBY heard the orders loud and clear from each of their scrolls. And now, with Raiden's call, the objective was clear, was it? Get the legs, the domino effect, and then the pilot would fall as well.
Yang picked up her Scroll and lifted it next to her ear. This was all to keep her sister safe.
And for that, no price was too high…
Just like how there was no limit to her Semblance.
"I can take the armour's explosions. Leave it to me." Yang said softly.
She heard her Scroll crackle, and then Venom spoke through the other end. "You're sure?"
"I am." Yang said firmly.
"And no one else could do it?"
"Not even close."
"…Alright then." She heard Venom sigh from the other end. "RWBY, listen up. A Metal Gear's greatness weakness has been and always will be the infantrymen who went above and beyond. Those who could exploit its weakness and surpass it will become a weapon much deadlier than it could ever be."
Ruby listened in aptly, the other members following her lead.
"…Use your strengths. Analyse its habits and attack patterns. Here's what you need to do…"
Meanwhile…
Tai investigated the submarine alone. So far, he hadn't heard any sounds of people. It was just way too odd… this was the submarine they went on, right?
Tai shook his head. No, of course it was. He couldn't doubt himself now.
After minutes of empty scouring, Tai eventually ended his search at the main control room. As he breached in, he saw that no one was there.
"Strange…" He muttered as he took a closer look. The entire main control room lacked any traces of his enemies, and yet it was still going. Tai took a look at the directional controls. Ah, it was going on autopilot.
But then where were his enemies? He took a look at the direction they went on. It seemed that they were heading for a shore on the other side of Vale. So instead of escaping, they were merely retreating for another chance.
He should look around the sub again, shouldn't he? But he might not get another chance to look at this info again. Hm, priorities, priorities…
Tai memorized the location and lifted his Scroll. He had no idea if a call would work underwater, but he had to try. He made a call to his friend. "Hey, V, It's me. They're heading to-."
BRRZT BRRZT BRRZT!
He received empty crackle from the other side. He clenched his fist and let out an angry breath. Damn it! He couldn't get a clear signal!
Tai shook his head. Well then, time to search the sub again and find out where CMEN are hiding-!
A voice spoke and grinded his thoughts to a halt. "Looking for someone, darling~?"
Tai whipped around. That voice! She's here-?!
SLAM!
"ARGH!" Tai felt his back being slammed against the controls, his vision going hazy. What kind of power was that-?!
"You're too slow, Tai~!" Tai heard her say in a sing-song voice. Tai shook his daze off and shot a look above him. A Grimm claw was raised high over his eyes, ready to blind him.
'Dodge!' And dodge Tai did, casting his body to the side and letting the claws slide against the controls beneath him.
Crcckkkk!
Tai rolled on the floor and quickly stood back up, unhooking the two machetes strapped to his back and gripping them both in his hands. He entered his stance a safe distance away from his enemy.
The enemy slowly withdrew her Grimm claws back, shifting them back to a more humanoid-shape. Sparks from the broken controls burned against her pale white skin, but she couldn't feel pain anyways.
Summer turned to the side and faced her husband with a manic smile. "Looking for Cinder, dear~?"
"Summer…" Tai breathed out. He felt sweat go down his fingers as his grip threatened to loosen. No, this can't be it! This won't be it! With these, he could still make her remember!
The two Aura syringes on his pockets felt heavier than ever. There wasn't a doubt. Not now, and not ever.
Summer continued, disregarding Tai's internal struggle.
"The kids have left with SDVs." She chuckled, waving her hand dismissively. "And in the opposite direction as well, Tai! And if you're thinking about the Grimm, then they're preeeetty safe from those as long as little Cindy and I are around to control them."
'No…'
"Point is…" Summer smirked and wagged her fingers at Tai. "You're too slow~!"
Tai turned his thoughts around. "Be that as it may." He gripped her original weapons tight. "I'll still havr you to bring back, Sum."
Summer looked at the weapons on Tai's grip and whistled. "Oh~? Is that Cloaked Precision?" Summer chuckled. "Aw, Tai, you shouldn't have!"
Tai's grip wavered. "I-I'll do anything to bring you back." He managed out. His emotions were a whirlwind he couldn't control. This was- was different!
Facing her like this, it turned out his head wasn't prepared at all.
Summer continued to laugh, all the while Tai struggled to form words. After what seemed like an eternity, Tai finally found the strength to speak.
"Sum, please. Come back." Tai pleaded honestly. Plans were one thing, but this-!
"Why?" Summer tilted her head innocently. "So we can be used again? No thank you, dear! I think I'm staying right where I am. Where I can be free!" She spread her arms wide and laughed out loud with pure delight.
Tai closed his eyes. "Sum… we know." He said softly.
At this, Summer seemed to freeze for just a moment, her arms dropping to her sides. "Know about…?" She trailed off.
"Your mission." Tai opened his eyes and looked her face-to-face. "Leonardo had some leftover files, and we managed to dig up those on you. It's… that final mission, I understand now-."
"NO YOU DON'T!" Summer screamed, and all signs of joy left her face.
Instead, it was replaced with nothing but anger. Pent up after well over a decade.
"Sum-!"
"Don't you 'Sum' me, Tai!" Summer yelled back. "If you understood, then you'd know to give this all up! Don't you see? Ozpin's using you! He used me! And now he's using our daughters as well! There's no line Ozpin that won't cross, surely you can see that! The only way this ends is if the Hunters end, once and for all!"
"I'm not following Ozpin!" Tai retorted. "I'm making my own path, Sum, as my own version of a Hunter! We can do this, together, like the old times. Remember STRQ, please! Remember Ruby and Yang!"
"Oh is that it? Were you hoping that I remember those days by bringing my old weapons back?" Summer huffed. "I remember every single day we went through together. The Vytal Tournament we went to way back when, our missions, our marriage…"
Summer let out a breath and cast her gaze to the floor. "Raising our daughters were the best moments of my life, Tai." She said softly.
Tai opened his mouth, nothing but desperation leaking out. "Then come back-!"
"But this parasite has shown me so much more…" Summer interrupted her husband. She held out her hands and they swiftly morphed into bone-built axes. She looked at Tai with her single eye, and he could see the barest signs of sorrow in it. "Ozpin is out there, Tai, and the conflict is still going on even after all I- no, all we've done. This is what I want, my dream now… The only way we'll ever be free from Ozpin, the way that humanity can live without being his pieces, is if it all ends. Right here, right now."
"Summer…"
And then, just as quickly as it came, the sorrow was masked once more with bloodthirsty glee.
"So do what's best for our daughters, Tai... AND DIE!"
Summer lunged with her dual axes, and Tai readied himself with Cloaked Precision.
They both met halfway, swords clashing against each other.
CLANG!
SCREECCHHH!
The RAY lifted its head high as the wings fully reloaded its missiles. It slammed its tail to the ground, shaking the docks and forcing all ground troops to lose their combat momentum.
"Ngrh!" Beryl lost her footing and fell to a knee, her soldiers around her not faring much better. As she looked up at RAY, she noticed its wings begin to emit light, no doubt preparing to fire more missiles. Damn it, they had to move-!
"Hey! Over here, Freakshow!"
Then, Beryl saw a red blur fly straight for the RAY's head from a neighbouring rooftop. It was fast, slicing through the night sky like a burning knife. It stopped right in front of RAY's pilot mirrors and the blur unfurled itself to reveal Ruby Rose, with Crescent Rose held back ready to slice.
"HYAH!" Ruby continued with her momentum and sliced at the pilot's windows, dragging Crescent Rose across and scratching it with a long stroke.
SCREEECHH!
The RAY let out a loud yell as Ruby finished her attack. She had bought a moment of reprieve for all parties, but only just. As Beryl and her soldiers got to her feet, the RAY's guns immediately locked on for Ruby. The young prodigy didn't miss a beat and swiftly activated her Semblance once more, speeding through RAY's body.
Ruby's red blur form twirled around its head, then its chest, and then swiftly ending on to the edge of its right wing.
SCREEECHH!
The RAY realized Ruby's actions almost right away. It quickly closed its wing missile slots and slammed the wing to the ground with Ruby still on its edge. However, Ruby had escaped just in time and landed a safe distance away, skidding to a stop with Crescent Rose firm in her hands.
Creak…!
The wing created a large crater on the ground as it slammed down, almost planted like a sword in dirt. The RAY's motors creaked as it lifted its wing with difficulty, its motors suffering heavy strain.
In that moment in time, the RAY was slowed and fully distracted. And it was in this time that Yang came in for her strike.
"TAKE THISSSS!" Yang came out of hiding and rushed for the RAY's already-exposed foot. Activating her Semblance, she let herself burn bright and punched the explosive Dust armour with her shotgun-knuckled fists.
SLAM! BOOM!
SCREECHHH!
The RAY roared as it felt its right leg's armour truly fail, now only its barebones structures. It turned its head wildly to where the enemy was. It roared as it saw Yang standing proudly beneath it, Semblance burning wild.
Yang smirked and slowly withdrew her explosion-strengthened fist.
The RAY lifted its tail high, sharp end aimed to pierce Yang right where she was. With blinding speed, it lunged its tail forwards right for Yang's head-!
Yang felt a familiar black ribbon wrap around her arm. She felt herself being pulled back to safety just as the tail was about to skewer her body.
The tail missed and planted itself to the ground. Blake finished her pull on Yang and used the momentum to launch herself to the air.
Fwoosh!
The wind flew past Blake's face as she soared in the night, flying right for the RAY's head with her sword in her hand. Her eyes scanned the RAY's body thoroughly. Waiting and waiting…
She ended her leap above the RAY's head. The RAY tracked her movements and roared, aiming its laser right for her.
With a screech, it and opened its mouth to burn Blake in mid-air with its laser.
Blake's Faunus eyes looked sharply at the RAY's mouth, analyzing its heat as its laser warmed up.
Not yet, it wasn't about to fire just yet…!
FWOOOM!
'Now!' Blake saw the moment the laser was about to fire and twisted her body, letting the attack fly past her uselessly into the night sky. With its head distracted, Blake quickly tied her ribbon to another point and swung away.
And then, before the RAY could realise its mistake and close its laser, its mirror sides were slammed with Ice shards. The Ice shards crept frost on the windows, blocking its vision with pearl-white.
Weiss lowered her rapier from the ground as snowflake-marked circles shone brightly on her feet. Summoning another circle at the tip of her rapier, she pointed her rapier at the open mouth of the RAY and fired even more Ice shards. The marks hit true just before the laser mouth could close, keeping it laser port frozen and unable to fire.
The RAY let out what noise it could and lifted its remaining good feet, positioning it over Weiss' head. It was going to smash her flat!
The RAY brought its feet down, Weiss standing calmly at her position. She heard from her Scroll the orders of the others. "This is Venom, coming in hot! Find cover!"
Numerous rockets fired from the Bullheads, straight for the foot above her. The rockets hit true, cracking the RAY's armor and forcing its foot to take a step back away from Weiss.
And then, with grace fit for a queen, Weiss flipped back and landed next to her team.
The RAY screeched as its armor began to fail. Right as it put its foot back on the ground, Raiden dashed forwards and finished the job.
"RARGH!" With a roar, Raiden slashed the RAY's other foot and destroyed its Dust-resistant armour, revealing the explosive ones loud clangs, the remains of the Dust-resistant armour fell to the ground.
Raiden quickly dashed away before he could be seen. Following his attack was Yang, immediately charging in with both her fist and her Semblance.
"COME ON!" Yang roared and lunged forwards, bursting through a clear path and slamming her fist right in the centre point.
BOOM!
The explosion engulfed her in a blinding red fire, and Yang absorbed every bit of damage with her Semblance. Before the RAY could make another action, Yang burst from the fire with strength she never had before.
"HAAAAAAH!" Yang roared and fired shotgun rounds behind her, flying herself to the RAY's chest with speed. She roared and focused all of her Aura and Semblance onto her fist. Right
The flames of her Semblance circled around her fist as she delivered the uppercut, burning in the faint form of a dragon.
"HYAHHHHH!" Yang reached her destination and delivered an uppercut straight to the RAY's chest.
CLANG!
SCREEECH!
The RAY roared in shock as it stepped back from the sheer force of the blow, cracks forming right in the middle of its chest's armour.
"Heheh…" Yang felt her Aura being drained immediately, her Semblance leaving her as adrenaline levels returned to normal. She had absolutely zero Aura in the tank. Yang felt herself fade out as she began to fall. That punch oughtta do it, right…?
She was falling, with no way for her to catch herself.
But then Yang felt herself smile as a red blur slammed into her, catching her mid-air oh-so delicately and swiftly delivering her back to her Team.
Ruby landed right in front of her Team and slowly lowered Yang around her team. Yang chuckled as she felt herself fade out. "Heh. Think I'm gonna take a nap now, Rubes…"
Ruby gave a small nod to her sister, and Yang soon drifted off.
"Try your best, sis~…!" And then with a weak thumbs-up, Yang was knocked right out.
Ruby stood back up and turned her vision once more to the fight. Now, to finish the job.
Raiden ran across the docks, circling the RAY at a safe distance with all the speed he had. With Team RWBY momentarily out of the picture, the enemy's focus was now all on him.
He clicked his tongue as the turrets followed his movements accurately, deflected bullets still giving him traces of Ice Dust effects. This wasn't ideal…
But then, as he ran, he noticed a bird flying around the RAY completely undetected.
'That must be Qrow.' Raiden thought, having read the Hunter's file previously. Quickly, Raiden signaled to Qrow to switch positions. Raiden just barely saw the bird give a small nod back, taking distraction role and began flying closer to the RAY.
The RAY's attention swiftly turned to Qrow and it fired its turrets right away. Qrow flew nimbly around the air, dodging each shot as best he could. The bullets just barely clipped his wings, but he kept flying closer and closer.
'Come on…!' Qrow pushed himself. Eventually, he reached the crack mark his niece had left. 'Now!' Swiftly, he turned back into his human form and roared. With all the force he could afford, he slammed his weapon directly into the RAY's wound.
CLANG!
The RAY shook, Yang's crack spreading even more. The explosive armour underneath it began to show. With another screech, RAY roared and moved its wing to slam where Qrow's human body was.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Its movement was interrupted as numerous rockets were directly hit RAY's wing mid-swing, forcing it back and allowing Qrow turn back and escape.
"Tch…" Venom lowered a rocket launcher from his position on the ground, surrounded by soldiers and Hunters. Off to the side, Beryl kept her unit tight and close. He raised his gloved Grimm fist to the air and shouted out for all to hear.
"Soldiers! On my lead!" Venom shouted.
"YES, SIR!"
BRRRT! RATATATATATA!
Muzzle flashes and gunfire filled the night as Venom fired his assault rifle in rhythm with his comrades. He felt his dependable AM-MRS4 recoiling to his shoulder as he focused his attacks. Together with his soldiers, they moved together as a unit with each step synced.
They fired with fury on the wound that RAY had in its chest.
RATATATATATA! RATATATATATATATATA!
The bullets hit their mark, ripping the metal even more and spreading the damage. Both Venom and Beryl's unit stepped around the RAY as they moved, circling it on two points and attacking with determination.
SCREEEEEECHHHH!
The Metal Gear roared as its chest's armor began to fail. It lifted its wings and aimed them both above Beryl and Venom's units.
Venom narrowed his eye as a shadow loomed over them all. No, not yet! "KEEP FIRING!"
"YES SIR!"
RATATATATATATA!
RAY screeched as the cracks began to worsen, almost reaching its peak. Having had enough, the RAY swiftly moved its wings and slammed them flat-!
FWOOOSH! BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Rockets flew from the remaining Bullheads above, forcing the wings back from the force.
RAY took a single step back from the sudden attack.
"NOWW!" Venom shouted. "Men! GIVE IT EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!"
"YES SIR!"
RATATATATATATATATATATAA! BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Every single Hunter and soldier on the ground unleashed their munitions on the crack Yang had formed. Fire Dust, Ice Dust, FMJ bullets, rifle rounds, all were focused on the RAY's wound.
The RAY screeched in pain as its armour cracked for the final time. It lifted its head high to the sky, opening its body as much as it could to reveal all of its turrets, on its left and right sides. They all aimed for Venom and Beryl's group-!
Slice!
However, before they could fire, Raiden jumped in from hiding and sliced the left side's turrets in two.
And then, not a second later, Qrow finished his attack on the right and left the right side's turrets destroyed.
Both of them landed on the ground side-by-side and immediately scattered as soon as possible. Seeing this, RAY opened the missile slots on its wings once more and prepared to fire the last rockets it had. It won't be ended like this-!
But before it could fire its last salvo, a red blur burst from the crowd and ascended the mecha. It was Ruby!
She dashed upwards RAY's feet, to its chest, then to its head. Just as RAY was about to fire, Ruby stopped her ascent and floated mid-air right in front of the pilot slot.
Ruby spun mid-air and turned Crescent Rose into its sniper form. She loaded the strongest round she had and took aim at the pilot's one-way glass.
'One shot.' With a silent whisper, Ruby fired Crescent Rose's strongest round right at the pilot's glass.
BANG!
…Crack!
A visible crack formed on the glass as Ruby flew back and retreated in one move.
Before the RAY could react, Weiss leapt from behind it using the aid of her Semblance. In the air behind the RAY, she quickly fired multiple Ice shards from her rapier and saw it freeze the pilot area instantly.
SCREEE-!
A black rope tied itself around the RAY's joints. It tensed as it was pulled, then launching Blake high into the sky. She swung around RAY as it was blinded and loaded her gun with Fire Dust as she moved.
Her Faunus eyes sharpened as Blake reached the apex of her swing, right next to the pilot area. With careful aim, she fired all of her Fire Dust rounds right at the pilot area.
BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!
The rounds hit their marks true as Blake swung away. Heat and ice mixed, causing the structural integrity to weaken, barely even standing. However, with the heat, the ice cleared away and made the RAY able to see once more.
The RAY roared as its vision was restored. It turned its head around the skies in rage, looking for its previous attackers-!
"Rocket salvo! Rocket salvo!"
Venom watched from the ground as the Bullheads fired their rockets at RAY's wounded chest. They exploded and cast its chest in a burning inferno, causing even more damage to RAY and forcing it to step back.
But still, its explosive armour beneath it hadn't given in! It was fully visible, and yet it was designed to only be triggered with a melee attack-!
"Have some!" Qrow roared from the ground and threw his blade right for the open section in the chest. He poured all his Aura in this attack and watched as his glowing sword cut through the night air.
Clang!
His sword landed right in the centre of RAY's wound.
BOOOOOM!
A large explosion erupted from RAY's chest, strong enough to shake the entire docks and blow dust to everyone's face.
And with that final explosion, the RAY finally began to show the weight of its damages.
Creak….!
With the scale of the wound, RAY was forced to lean down to cover its chest. Its wings, legs, and even its head were now low, all not too far from ground-level.
And at such an angle, no more bullets needed to be fired.
It was over, and Venom knew as such.
"NOW RAIDEN! BRING IT DOWN!" Venom yelled through the CODEC.
He heard a roar in response and saw Raiden leap from the shadows. The ninja landed right on top of RAY's right wing with HF Crocea in hand. With a yell, Raiden ran along the RAY's wing and slashed its metals as he ran, dividing it to a hundred pieces.
"HAHHHHH!" Raiden ended his run and leapt high, soaring right above the RAY's pilot area. Turning in the air, he put his foot below him and positioned it for a final kick.
"YOU'RE DONE FOR!" Raiden aimed for the pilot area and descended with as much speed as he could. Electricity circled around his feet as he shot down, striking down like a bolt of electricity through the night.
CRASH!
His feet hit the pilot area dead-on. With ease, Raiden blasted through it and tore its roof apart. Shards of metal and glass flew from Raiden's impact, and the pilot was now unprotected. He saw a flash of movement as the pilot began to swiftly make an escape-!
Raiden smirked. But they weren't done just yet.
Venom focused all of his Grimm powers and jumped up, managing to rise just at the height of the lowered RAY head. With a cry, he launched himself at the figure and tackled her with all his momentum. They crashed against each other, tumbling in a mix of limbs. In their struggle, Venom felt them both being tossed away from the RAY and into a rooftop away from the docks.
As they flew away, still in a struggle, Venom's eye narrowed as he felt his opponent's energy. Grimm, just like his own.
"Agh!" They both crashed on a rooftop, tumbling along and kicking up dust all around. They each struggled for control, Grimm limbs clashing against each other.
In their struggle, Venom felt his CODEC shatter on the ground. He grit his teeth. Why couldn't he take control off of the enemy? Why was it so hard to CQC?!
"Grk!" Venom felt a knee hit his stomach and felt his grip loosen. Before he knew it, Venom felt himself being thrown over the shoulder.
'No!' Venom clenched his teeth and prepped himself for the impact. He recovered from the throw, landing on his feet and quickly getting back up. He launched himself at the enemy without even thinking, but whoever it was had their training down to a T. The enemy grabbed his hand, pulled him close, and elbowed him in the gut.
"Ngh!" The enemy then pushed him to the ground, but Venom quickly kicked his feet up to prevent the enemy from getting a grab. Said enemy stumbled back in a daze, slowly drawing a weapon.
Venom quickly did the same.
But that technique felt familiar somehow… maybe this was someone who knew about the U.C?!
They were alone in this rooftop now, far enough from the docks that no one would be coming anytime soon. With that in mind, Venom swiftly stood back up and readied his pistol and knife, the classic CQC stance.
And then he saw his enemy do the same.
Click!
Click!
They readied their weapons at each other, stances firm and unwavering. Venom's eye stared right into the enemy's own, standing a few metres away from him with her own weapon unflinchingly aimed at him.
But then…
'No. It can't be…!'
He felt his resolve shatter when he saw who it was.
His eyes widened as his breath got caught in his throat. His fingers felt sweaty, his resolve shattered in less than a moment.
Even with those Silver Eyes, even in this darkness and silence…
That one-of-a-kind gun, paired with that white sneaking suit and green cloak...!
She could never be erased from his memories, brainwashing or not.
Because even after her time, there really was no one else.
And then her eyes went wide as well, her stance slacking as she saw her reality.
"….S-Snake…?"
"Boss…" The words barely left Venom's lips. He felt his hands go numb, barely holding in his CQC stance.
The Boss felt the same.
Beneath a broken moon, Venom saw a single tear go down The Boss' cheek.
To Be Continued…
Thanks for reading!
See you next time!
Review Responses:
To Maniacalharp747, teamwork! Though this is still a rather solid victory for the good guys, if we're not counting soldier /boat/Bullhead casualties. The main point for Raiden here is to hold in the RAY from Vale and inside the docks as much as possible, since if even a part of the destruction that happened in Africa happened here, the effect would be much greater. But still! This proves that our main protagonists can handle the heat, with RWBY 'graduating' so to say, to a certain degree. And for Locked and Loaded, it sounded a bit too rough for me, get it?
To Renashi-RE012, and not only that, Salem also has the woman who 'birthed' Metal Gear's deterrent. Problem is, how long could she keep 'The Boss' under her control?
To PSYCONIG, eh… do the soldiers here count?
To Spyash2, METAL GEAR!
To TheJSmooth, Neo, hmm, I'll see how her story ends up (no doubt she'll be furious with Torchwick's fate). As for the MG, glad you liked the surprise, and I hope this chapter was good enough! :)
To Gwynx, thanks for the compliment! And after teamwork (TM), they finally did, and minimized damages. If only the same could be said for Venom…
To NeoAlmia, I see your point, really. Maybe I should've put it in like a third fight or something like that…. But it's too late to change it now. What I can do is use it as groundwork for the next parts (his never giving up part, actually making it real in the eyes of the readers, yeah?) but feel free to hit me up if you think otherwise. Also, RWBY's internal struggle won't be with the MG itself, but with Summer, who's now pretty close. Thanks for reading, and for the support! :)
To Just a reader now a writer, yeah, after all this time! Thanks for reading!
To Phantommore, character development, I guess… (at least I try to with Adam)
To SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta, the RAY's different now, stronger, but just different. And he has to make sure the damage doesn't spread to the rest of Vale. Destruction like in Africa simply could not happen.
To Anermly, yah, she's descending pretty deep. But how far will she go…? Only time will tell.
To CriticaofRandomness, I planted the idea in the earlier chapters (like… with Armstrong and Jaune's first days in Desperado, I'm kinda sure). About how an MG was stranded. And it's the very same MG that Ironwood snatched up and redesigned. Hope that answers the question!
To KenSanders, both he and Venom were pretty much the brains in this operation, and without their lead no doubt Vale would've been screwed. Both Raiden's familiarity + strength as well as Venom's skill in leading the soldiers around him, managed to make them pull through after all. But then, what'll it be with him and the Boss's situation…? As for the Grimm, they're being held back for now, as Summer said. They'll come, just not yet. As for Ozpin, he hasn't reached the peak just yet! There's still the matter of the U.C arrivals, after all… Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoyed!
To SolSparda369, Boss fight it is, a sort of 'graduation test' for RWBY (I always thought this was appropriate)! As for Indigo, how deep will she go…? The Gundam reference is pretty cheeky, but I think I'm glad with how it turned out in the context . Thanks for reading!
To Onyx Gabriel, AND THEY RUN WHEN THE SUN COMES UP! WITH THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE!
To Guest, yeah, it was implied in the earlier chapters (though that's pretty long ago…)
To dragon slayer of death 98, yeah he would be able to, except the main factor of a) Dust, b) different design emphasis RAY, and c) The Boss' skills in piloting. Of course they still took it down in the end, it just required a different approach.