Tangled Shore, Sol System
Another day, another thankless job on the shore. Thought the Cabal Legionary of the Red Legion. Former member of the Red Legion. Ever since Dominus Ghaul was blasted into subatomic particles and scattered across the cosmos by the awakened Traveler, many Cabal of numerous legions were fracturing amongst themselves to fill in the power vacuum. And the Red Legion was no exception.
Already there were factions amongst the members of the Red Legion seeking to fill the void, and some just forming their own groups. The top contender in the former category to reform the Red Legion was Val Ca'our stationed on Remnant. Others in the latter just formed their own groups. An example being the Unbowed Legion led by the bond-sisters by the name of Shogmar, Mouvurg, and Daazaz Dar. And of course, there are those groups that are doing mercenary work like this Legionary along with his fellow warriors. And here on the Tangled Shore, there was work aplenty.
Currently, said work was working for these Scorned Barons and their Scorn working in the mines of Sorik's Cut.
What were they mining? A combination of Glimmer, which was useful, and the materials needed to make Engrams. Specifically, engrams of the exotic kind.
He, along with may others worked either as security or miners to harvest those minerals. Today, like all the days he's worked for the Scorn, was on security. He didn't know what the Scorn were doing with said materials, but what came out of the mines were the finished product. Cart upon cart of Exotic engrams piled high before being shipped into either fallen Skiffs or Cabal Interceptors to fly away. He figured the Scorn were making them, shipping them to any faction willing to pay for them, and using the funds to increase their operations on the shore. He can almost imagine the uses the many Cabal faction can get out of the engrams.
So engrossed in his fantasy, he didn't feel the blade go into his back before he slumped over dead.
Blake wiped the blood off Gamble shroud before tapping on the earbud connecting her scroll to the radio frequency provided by Summer.
"Guard dead. Heading to the next point."
Finding out what the Cabal were doing with the Scorn necessitated a stealth operation. One that had Blake's name written all over it due to her past in the White Fang.
"Everything looks great from over here. You've got two Psions on patrol a solid eight feet away. Best to avoid those. Turn left and jump down, you should be in one of the smaller buildings." Summer said, giving her cover back at the large engine.
"And we're close by if you need back-up." Yang said on a Fallen pike with Weiss riding behind her. They found these pikes in a small hut in the back and decided to "borrow" them for the duration of their time here on the shore since the signal to transmat a sparrow isn't operating at the time. Another thing Uldren Sov and his Scorn did during their tenure as rulers of the tangled Shore.
"Copy that." Blake said before going silent. Following Summer's instructions, she avoided the Psions and jumped down and into the shadows of a small hut. She peeked out and saw more Cabal load up another cart towards one of their ships. She watched as they loaded more Exotic Engrams before tapping the side as the ship started to take off.
Blake moved back into the shadows and turned around, but froze in place seeing what was before her!
The most horrifying thing anyone has ever seen in their life!
A sleeping Warbeast.
Her faunus instincts kicking in, she froze in place! Even though she knew this wasn't a dog, her instincts made her think of it like one and she acted in kind. Her eyes widening and frozen in place, paralyzed by the sight!
"Blake…Blake? You've been in there for a while now? You going to come out at some point?" Summer asked on the comms, but got no response. She decided to go to a separate window to see what was holding her up. What she saw almost made her giggle, but she held it in being responsible.
"Hey, Yang? Blake's frozen in place by a Warbeast. Think you and mini-whitey…" "Hey!" "…could help her out?" Summer heard giggling coming from the other side of the radio and Yang responded. "No problem. Give us some covering fire." Yang said as she and Weiss raced away on the Fallen Pike.
Meanwhile, Blake was still held in place by the sleeping Warbeast, sweat covering her body. She prayed to the Brother Gods and even the Traveler itself to keep this beast asleep until she got out of here.
None of them responded in kind.
It was at that moment that the Warbeast awakened, eyes blinking drowsily, sleep wearing off. It took several breaths before its eyes fixed upon her. Its lips peeled back, teeth showing as it got up and slowly prowled towards her. She only had one chance to take aim with her weapon, but three things happened.
The first being that the Warbeast pounced before she could react. The second was a sniper bullet sending its body flying. And the third was an explosion sounding. The latter caused klaxons to sound and numerous Cabal and Scorn went out to meet those that interrupted their operations.
Those being Yang and Weiss.
Yang had decided to crash the Fallen Pike into one of the guard towers where numerous Psions kept watch. Luckily, both she and Weiss jumped at the last second and landed in the midst of a group of Cabal going back down into the mines. The cabal brought up their weapons, but thanks to Summer providing overwatch, they lost their heads to sniper shots. The same could be said for the Warbeast that had Blake paralyzed. Blake soon joined her teammates and together fought the emerging Cabal from the mine, Psions on the guard towers and Scorn emerging alongside the Cabal.
Blake used her shadow clones to dodge shots or melee weapons. Weiss used her Glyphs to skate around the battleground, Yang would simply punch those that got close, and Summer would keep them covered with her sniper shots.
It was at this point that Yang herself made a disturbing discovery. The discovery being the Exotic Engrams. In the midst of reloading Ember Celia, Yang dodged a Stalker Scorn wielding a club. Dodging left and right, unable to reload her weapon, she flung the one thing that was close to her. That being an Exotic Engram in a cart nearby. She grabbed the Engram and threw it right in its face, hoping to buy her time. The second the Engram hit the Scorn, it fell at its feet, turned bright red before it exploded. Yang ducked, her aura protecting her from the blast and bits of metal impacting her body and the walls close by. She opened her eyes and saw the charred feet of the Scorn that was left, the scorched earth around said remains, and the bits of metal in the walls and grounds.
Summer saw the explosion through her sights and decided to end the fight quickly. Taking aim at the remaining enemies, she quickly put them down.
"You three stay right there, I'll be on my way. Whatever you do: don't…touch…the engrams!" She said using her mature voice.
All three had heard them and kept a far distance from the cart of engrams. So engrossed in following the order, they didn't see the grenade fly to their feet and explode in front of them!
A flash of white, a ringing sound and the sluggish movements of their bodies showed that the grenade was a custom web mine. Once the effects wore off, the three saw the familiar outline of Kaniks the mad bomber in the opening of the mine.
"Oh, you killed our work force! No fun, no fun!" He giggled.
All three readied their weapons, but Yang caught sight of something drifting down to the ground.
Three hairs.
Three golden strands of her hair.
Her hair!
Yang's eyes went red and fire erupted from her hair. "You bastard!"
"Ohhhhh, got her mad, got her mad! Can't catch me!" Kaniks danced, dodging the shots she was firing at him. He soon scurried off into the mine, Yang right in pursuit. Blake ran to follow her partner, quickly followed by Weiss. However, Weiss somehow triggered a booby-trap and a series of Web mines erupted at her feet, preventing her from joining them down below!
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Yang and Blake went deeper into the mine, passing several mining equipment, veins of Glimmer and other minerals that they couldn't identify, but no sight of the mad bomber. Where did he go? Blake thought to herself. At this point, Yang had cooled off from her rage.
They soon came to the end of the tunnel, finding themselves in another complex with a docked Fallen Skiff and buildings nearby. Seeing the place deserted, they found a console near the docked ship and went to it. Scanning the screen with her Scroll, she uploaded the program that Drei provided Team RWBY to access other systems and went to work.
"This was originally a dock for smugglers under the Spiders reign before converted to the Scorn's operations. Ship still operational and ready to depart." Blake said stepping away from the screen. They searched the place and still found no one. The only thing they did find was conveyor belts with chunks of glimmer and other minerals unfinished along with the tools associated with cutting, carving and other mining equipment. Passing all that, they then came to a door that was locked.
"Think I can punch the door open?" Yang asked.
Before Blake could respond, the door opened for them.
"Or we could step through the now open doorway and hope it isn't a trap." She said before they both stepped through the threshold.
It was a trap.
The second they took a step within, the floor opened up under them and they fell through a large tube.
Down and down, they went, twisting this way and that before they landed with a thud within an energy cage. They brushed themselves off and took in their surroundings. They found themselves in a large underground room, walls lined with Glimmer, jewels, minerals and even a few engrams somehow embedded within the rocky walls.
And the two were not alone.
Turns out that they were right next to four other cages on either side of their own. The cages on their left contained two vex Goblins on the far left, with the one closest to them contained a Hive Knight and Wizard. Yang, who was closest to the Hive cage cringed back, having never seen a Hive up close and hoped never will until right now. She bumped into Blake, who turned and saw what the cages on the right contained. On the far right contained two Fallen Dregs wearing the remains of the House of Kings banner on their bodies. And the one closest to them on the right contained a Red Legion Cabal and Psion.
The one thing in common between them all was their surprise.
The lights around them dimmed, the uppermost walls vanished, being a holographic illusion showing Scorn overlooking them on the railings.
"What the hell?" Yang said looking around, weapons ready to throw down.
Music sounded around them, spotlights spinning all around before they landed on a platform a solid twenty feet away. On the platform the Barons Kaniks and Arakses, Relic of Knowledge on a pedestal behind them.
"Fallen and Scorn, Cabal of all ages…" Arakses started.
Both Yang and Blake readied themselves, thinking that they would fight against the Scorn up above.
"Welcome to the Scorned Games!" Kaniks finished, both posing dramatically as confetti and a party sound exploded around them.
Both Yang and Blake didn't expect that!