38

Qrow ducked down low, the double helix of deadly claws and pincers sailing over his head as he let the Grimm pass him by, striking out with Hardinger to bisect a third Grimm lunging for his face. He wasn't given time to rest, needing to quickly backpedal as another half dozen Centinels descended from the ceiling, crackling the cement where he once stood. Even as his blade sliced into several of them, more were coming in from the tunnel. It was a whole swarm of the things.

A twist of the hilt and the blade tilted, allowing to aim the barrels out and put a few blasts down the tunnel, the loaded fire dust flashing in the darkness and illuminating the dozens of Grimm descending upon him even as a few of them were consumed in fire.

Well that's not good.

Just his luck he would stumble into a Centinel nest,but at least there weren't any Alphas. If this many Centinels had gathered in one place then there was a good chance they would have evolved, or some of them might have.

If there was one thing he was thankful for it was that the Centinels could not easily burrow in the concrete. Not that the material was any more durable than the rock and stone they usually tunneled through but the rebar that reinforced it would stop them from moving freely through it. That didn't stop them from cracking the material as they hurled themselves at him. The Grimm twisted and turned, their bodies rotating like some kind of wriggling mass of drills. They dug furrows into the floor.

With a click the mechanisms in his weapon shifted into gear, the hilt elongating and the blade segmenting as it curved down into the shape of a scythe. With one mighty slash, four of the Grimm fell and instantly started disintegrating. The Grimm were pretty fast and could come from all kinds of directions but them being Grimm made them relatively easier to deal with. With the kind of mindless aggression that the Grimm came at him with, it meant they took the shortest route to get to him. Sure they could come from nearly anywhere, but as long as he danced out of their reach and made his way around the cavernous room, then he could kite them without getting surrounded. Grimm didn't flank on purpose.

As he ducked behind a pillar, they took a chunk out of it as they attempted to get at him through the material. The column came apart in a shower of rubble and exposed metal, Qrow flinching as the pieces pinged off of his aura. It was in his moment of distraction that the ground below him erupted upwards. Qrow flew back, his aura flashing as he hit the wall and watching with dread as something else emerged from the ground, something far bigger than the Centinels.

He grimaced at its bulbous body that glowed a toxic green like an overfilled water balloon. The Grim had two large, scythe-like appendages and the boneplating resembled the bug like Grimm around it.

Centaur. Just my luck.

Of course there was an Alpha with the nest, why wouldn't there be? The fact that it was able to burrow straight through the concrete and the rebar wasn't lost on him. This was going to be an even bigger pain in the ass.

The Grimm roared and charged at him but he was already moving, cutting through the lesser Grimm as they attempted to corner him against the wall. Centinels weren't all that tough, they just came in great number, it was when they were left alone for too long that things became really dangerous because they tended to evolve into Cenitaurs which were far more dangerous.

Qrow had to duck behind another of the pillars as he saw it rear back, knowing what was going to come next. Sure enough, the next thing that came from its mouth wasn't a roar but rather the toxic green liquid inside of its stomach, or bile sack, whatever it was. Though toxic only described the color as the liquid started to bubble and hiss on contact with the concrete, eating through it rapidly. He winced, really not wanting to get that stuff on himself. Maybe his aura would protect him but he wasn't keen to find out.

However the pillar could not protect him forever as he was forced to duck, the claw of the Grimm scything right through it in one great slash as it barreled through. He took advantage of the momentary blindness to strike, Harbinger coming up to slice it in half. Unfortunately, it seemed like it was smarter than it looked, the Cenitaur stopping short and causing his blade to only slice into the bulbous sack hanging from it.

Acid sprayed everywhere as the thing screamed in pain, Qrow bing forced to retreat as his aura sizzled under the liquid. He was able to shield his eyes but it hissed against his skin as he used his cape to wipe it off. A shame to lose it but it would be better than leaving it on him. It had been a gift from Summer, too, to replace one he'd had. He'd been wearing it for fifteen years. The smoking garment was discarded at his feet as he glared at the recovering monster as it thrashed around, even killing some of its lessers as it did so. Not with the acid, though, the Centinels were immune to it. They'd be a pretty shitty Grimm if they weren't.

Qrow had been irritated before, annoyed and even grossed out but now he was angry. He'd just lost his favorite cape, a gift from Summer and that was something that could not be replaced.

The alpha recovered, wriggling about as it advanced on him in a way that sent a shiver up his spine. He always hated bug Grimm, but at least it wasn't a spider. It's claw came down and he sidestepped it, letting it pierce into the ground as he swept his own scythe up and into the joint of its arm, severing it. It screamed as it reared back but he couldn't capitalize on the momentum as a group of Centinels descended from the ceiling. One was split along its length but the others made him take several steps back.

He eyed the Grimm, looking at their reduced numbers. Cenitaurs weren't too much of a problem if you could take away their acid early on in a fight. There were far more dangerous Grimm out there and they were laughable compared to Jormungandr.

At least these Grimm were pretty stupid. Qrow ran around another piller, the somewhat disarmed alpha slamming into it as it tried to get to him. Harbinger sliced off the Centinels that tried to wrap around it to attack him and his scythe reached around the pillar, the blade coming to hug the body of the Cenitaur. Normally he was strong enough to cut through the Grimm on his own, unlike his niece.

Ruby may have learned the basics of scythe-work from him but she took the techniques he taught her and started running with them. It didn't take long for her to realize that she was too small and slight to wield her chosen weapon effectively. His scythe blade strained to cut through the hard bone carapace, the Grimm squealing. Qrow put his leg up on the pillar and used it as leverage to pull, feeling the sudden give as his blade cut through the monster and dug into the concrete pillar.

It had been clear a long time ago that his niece was a genius. He'd watched her grow up and learn from him, even if her skill wasn't necessarily there yet, he could see her potential. Maybe Ruby couldn't wield a scythe, and judging by Carmine she never would be. Instead she had invented her own style, applying her intellect and his lessons to solve the problem instead of seeking a different weapon. Where Qrow used a scythe, Ruby danced with it. Crescent Rose was, to her, a dance partner more than a tool, and she treated it as such.

With a grunt he pulled his weapon from the pillar and carefully surveyed the area until he was satisfied that there were no more Grimm. With a sigh he brought his hand up to the device in his ear.

"Hey Winter. It's Qrow. I'm going to check it out some more but I don't think this location's going to pan out."

"You can tell already?"

"Yeah." He replied as he walked down towards where the Centinels had come from, "The White Fang would have cleared the Grimm out. I doubt the way is open over her but I'll take a look, just in case."

"The was a few minutes of silence as he walked down the tunnel before her voice came through, sharp but slightly distorted by the amounts of rock between him and the portable relay, "You may well come back. I've found them."

"I'm on my way."

-SY-

Winter quickly hid as she heard the voices. They weren't more than a low hum but Grimm didn't talk. That meant someone else was out there with them in Mountain Glenn and there was only one possible answer as to who. She peeked around the low wall of rubble that was acting as her refuge to spot them a few hundred feet away, two men dressed in White Fang uniforms and carrying a pair of rifles.

No wonder she hadn't seen any Grimm in the area, most likely the White Fang were regularly culling them around their perimeter, which meant the entrance to the underground had to be near.

The pair chatted as they walked along the ruined streets, acting for all the world that it was a typical day of the week. Occasionally they would stop and listen to some sound they heard, raising their weapons. At least they were vigilant, so she couldn't call them complete fools. There was one lone Beowolf that they dispatched with a few bursts from their guns, but luckily for them it appeared to be a straggler. They meandered in a circuitous route, clearing the streets and looking down the alleys.

They were clearly untrained, even if they were being careful. Winter couldn't help but criticize their action or lack of actions. It was a windfall for her, because if they had been more thorough it would have been much harder to tail them.

Eventually they moved to a door set in the side of a building, making to go inside. It was the first time they had moved to enter a building. Winter took that as her chance, ejecting her smaller blade into her offhand as a white glyph sprang to life, whirring underneath her. It launched her at blinding speed, a speed at which the two unsuspecting terrorists didn't know what hit them. Her velocity stopped immediately as she impacted the pair, her blades piercing them and the wall of the building.

Their bodies stiffened in surprise from the force of the blow but before they could react she pulled out and swept her swords out quickly, beheading the both of them. Even as their bodies hit the ruined street, her stomach turned. She was no stranger to killing, having found it necessary in the past but she only did so when needed. Winter knew she could have subdued the two of them but then what? Leave two unconscious faunus in the middle of Grimm infested territory? She would have been signing their death warrant regardless.

These people had made their choice, she knew what they were planning. Planning to release Grimm into the city? Destroying Beacon Academy? It was more heinous than anything the White fang had done before and would result in thousands of deaths and perhaps even the destruction of an entire city. If killing a few of them protected the innocent, then that is what she would do. It was her duty.

She opened the door and peeked inside carefully, seeing a landing that led immediately to a stairwell. The flights disappeared into the darkness straight down. Winter stepped inside and looked over the railing, seeing flight after flight descend down as she shined her light.

"I've got a stairwell, Qrow."

There was a pause for moments before a huffing sound could be heard, "I'm on my way."

"Are you on foot?" She asked.

"A bird can't follow a scroll locator!"

That made her pause and think and started wondering what happened to his weapons, clothes, and other accessories when he transformed, "Won't it take you a while?"

"I'm skipping!" He growled out, "I alight and orient myself then fly for a bit, now leave me alone!"

Winter winced but did as asked. The more she talked the more he would be delayed. It was time for some reconnaissance. Qrow had reluctantly told her about his semblance, so the more she could accomplish without risking its interference, the better. Slipping a small, cylindrical device out of her belt. She set it flush with the wall, just inside the door, and depressed the small button on the side. There was a sharp hydraulic noise that came from it as a small set of spikes shot out and embedded themselves into the wall, securing it firmly. The small red light turned on to show it was transmitting and she checked her scroll to make sure the beacon was working properly, which it was.

"Sir." She called into the comms, "I have attached a beacon to the entrance we have found."

"Understood." Came the voice that wasn't Qrow's. The General was on standby in the AAS Spirit of Virtue, his flagship, "We'll start moving in. ETA twenty minutes."

The line went silent and she knew Qrow would have heard it too. Ironwood was monitoring their comms but would only break silence when necessary. With that done she began to descend down the stone stairs, wary of how her boots echoed on the hard surface.

That many flights was annoying, but she didn't dare take a shortcut for fear of alerting anyone who might be below. Instead, she took the stairs quickly but as quietly as she could muster. It was a total of some twenty flights that saw her to the bottom, no other stop on the way down. It made sense, a vertical shaft full of stairs would prove difficult for Grimm to navigate should they get through, with reinforced entrances at the bottom for easy defence.

Winter summoned a single, small Nevermore to flit out the entrance and was rewarded by a single voice and let out a startled gasp.

"What the hell is that?!"

While the guard was distracted she moved, stepping through the entrance and finding the man stood to her left. He noticed her but too lat as her saber found his throat. She dragged his body back through and set him underneath the stairs.

The stairwell came out into an underground city, dilapidated buildings stood out, placed with wide roads between them. It looked like the section was in just as bad of a state as those above. She remembered the brief on the fall of Mountain Glenn, it was a horrific incident. Originally touted as a massive success as an expansion of Vale, the sister city had faced Grimm assault constantly until they had gotten inside the walls. Eventually it had forced the people to evacuate underground but that hadn't been safe either. A wall had opened where a pocket of Grimm had been discovered which had led to a fresh assault and the fall of the city.

Unfortunately, under the Grimm incursion the city wasn't able to completely evacuate to Vale and those in power made the decision to collapse the train tunnels that connected the cities. They could not afford to leave a path into the city for the Grimm. As an officer she understood the hard decision. While she could regret the loss of life she knew it was made to protect all of the innocents in Vale. Was there a good alternative? Another way? She didn't know, she hadn't been there, she was just a young girl when the city had fallen.

Winter ducked into an alleyway, ascending the wall with a series of glyphs until she alighted on the rooftop. She surveyed the ground and could very faintly hear the sounds of voices yelling, not in alarm but rather to be heard over distance, and the sounds of machinery.

Vaulting from rooftop to rooftop she soon found the source of the noise, a train station where the tracks led off into what was clearly not a collapsed tunnel. That was proof, if she needed it, that Carmine was telling the truth. A small mercy, even if she wished she wasn't.

"White Fang operation sighted." She reported over the communications device in a whisper. While she wasn't close enough to be heard if she was speaking normally, she wasn't about to take a chance. "The tunnel looks to have been fully excavated."

She pulled out a small pair of binoculars, "I see the dust. It looks like they are preparing and loading explosives onto the train." Looking around she spotted something that caused her to grit her teeth, "I can see a total of twelve Paladin units already loaded onto the train."

That wasn't good. Each unit was designed to work in tandem with the Knight units to be placed on the forefront of the battlefield against the Grimm. If that many made it into the city, it could be catastrophic. That was when she spotted something that made her freeze.

A flash of red caught her eye and she saw Adam Taurus, directing the White Fang, but he wasn't alone. Nearby was a woman who she recognized.

Cinder Fall.

They had considered the possibility she would retreat to the MountainGlenn operation but they didn't know how she had gotten out of Vale.

"Taurus and Fall have been spotted."

"Fuck!" Came Qrow's reply, followed by an irate General Ironwood.

"I will notify Rose and Arc."

There was a sound from above that had her looking up, a sharp cracking sound.

-SY-

Qrow landed in the center of the street, looking down at his scroll. He was close to the beacon that Winter had placed, one last flight should do it.

Before he could place it back into his pocket her froze as he heard a cracking sound, the ground beneath him suddenly giving way. It was pure instinct that caused him to grab a hold of the edge to prevent him from falling completely though. A quick glance down showed the debris disappearing into the shadows below. The chunk that he had a grip on shifted and his heart sank right before it gave way entirely, spilling him down into the cavernous city below.

Falling wasn't much of a problem for him, shifting into his bird form he opened his wings to catch the draft before something hard hit him in the back. With a squawk he dropped out of the sky like the stone he'd been hit by. Quickly he had to revert or be smashed by falling rubble. His aura flexed as he hit the ground and tucked into a roll to attempt to bleed off some of the momentum.

One hand on Harbinger he came up in a crouch, observing his surroundings and the stunned expressions on the various masked terrorists he'd landed in the midst of. There was a period of a few heartbeats in which everyone processed what had happened before all hell broke loose.

A/N: Here we go. The Mountain Glenn operation has gone sideways but honestly what else did you expect with Qrow's semblance?

Soon we will be able to get back to the ten Primordials storyline. And yes I do realize now that I had made a mistake a long time ago and in the same chapter written ten and nine for the number of them that exist. Well I can confirm that there are ten of them in the story and I have corrected my error.