Volume 2, Chapter 13: RWBY
“I didn’t think you would be the one leading this mission, Professor,” Weiss comments, barely audible over the roar of the Bullhead’s engines.
“Doctor,” Oobleck corrects sharply, “I didn’t earn that PhD for fun.”
“Right, doctor,” She really hadn’t meant to offend him, “Still, I never took you for much of a fighter.”
“I admit, I fancy myself more of an… intellectual as well,” He concedes, “but I can assure you, as a Huntsman, I’ve more than earned my stripes. You’re in good hands, not least because this isn’t a combat mission, strictly speaking.”
“It’s not?” Ruby tilts her head in that adorable, puppy-like way she does when confused, “But I could’ve sworn it was under—”
“If our only prey were Grimm, ‘Search and Destroy’ would be an apt description.” Oobleck leans in as his tone turns gravely serious, “But we all know that isn’t the case. Our primary focus on this mission will be reconnaissance, combat is a last resort. We are to survey the designated region only; I will be reporting our findings directly to the Headmaster.”
“The survey region seems pretty small.” Blake murmurs as she looks over the mission file, “How’d we narrow it down this much from ‘southeast?’”
“The region southeast of Vale is known for its dense forests and sprawling caves, but it’s also the site of one of this kingdom’s greatest failures.”
“Mountain Glenn…” Yang gasps, both sisters’ eyes widening in recognition. Thankfully, the elder of the two goes on to explain, “It was a planned expansion of Vale, but it was eventually overrun by Grimm and walled off.”
“Correct,” The doctor nods sagely, his somber expression half-hidden by his glasses, “And now it stands abandoned, as a dark reminder.”
“And a likely place for a hideout,” Blake adds coldly.
Mountain Glenn is exactly as the history books described it: a wasteland. Half-collapsed buildings that look like they were abandoned before they were even completed; cracked pavement, without a hint of greenery in sight. Nothing to see or care about. There weren’t even birds overhead.
“So, what are your orders, Doctor?” Blake asks, her feline eyes scanning the empty cityscape.
“Straight to the chase; good,” He begins, talking a mile a minute, as usual, “As you’ve been informed, this region has been marked as a recent hotspot for Grimm activity. Now, there are several possible explanations for this behavior, one of which being—Grimm.”
“Uh… What?” Ruby stammers, all four teammates glancing nervously between each other.
“Grimm. A creature of Grimm approximately… one hundred meters, dead north.” Sure enough, there’s a lone Beowolf just down the street. Weapons whirr and click into place as RWBY prepares for a fight, but they’re quickly interrupted by the doctor, “Stop. Let’s think about this; there are many reasons Grimm might congregate in this area. Namely, their attraction to negative emotions. Sadness, envy, loneliness… hatred. All qualities likely held by our real prey.”
“So, what now?” Ruby isn’t very good at hiding the disappointment in her voice.
“We wait, and we track. This specimen should lead us to its pack; and the pack will lead us to the villains we’re looking for. The most important thing is to keep your emotions in check, so you don’t divert their course.” Fortunately, the Beowolf hasn’t seemed to notice them yet, and the hunt begins in earnest.
Weiss’ Glyphs help them get up on the roofs above their prey, the five of them moving as quietly as possible as the Beowolf stalks through empty streets. Yang tries her best to stay calm, she really does, but tracking one lone Grimm through urban ruins is just plain boring. Even their mentor seems to get distracted, inspecting a long-dead brush or one of the buildings.
“I was really hoping we’d get to see a professional Huntsman in action…” Yang grumbles to herself before leaping to the next building, “Or at least do something.”
“Ah, but I am in action!” Oobleck corrects, turning away from the exposed rebar he was just examining, “Scouring the ruins of this once-great city for any sign of irregularity. Not every mission is filled with daring and heroism. Remember, this is a job, and one you signed up for.”
“Well, yeah…” She sputters, not really wanting to concede, but knowing he’s right. It still doesn’t make the boredom any less frustrating.
“Ah, that reminds me. Yang, why do you want to become a Huntress?”
“Huh?” She looks back at him. Isn’t it obvious? “To fight monsters and save—”
“No,” He interrupts sharply, “That is what you do. I’m interested in why you do it. The honest reason you chose this line of work.” The answer on the tip of her tongue isn’t the whole truth, but it’s what’s on her mind right now.
“The honest reason? I’m a thrill-seeker. I want to travel the world and get wrapped up in as many crazy adventures as I can. And, if I help people along the way, then that’s all the better. A win-win.”
“I see.” Is all he says, giving no indication as to what he thinks of her answer. He simply moves on, disappearing in a blur of motion to reach the next rooftop over. Yang shakes her head and redoubles her focus on the Grimm, but keeps an ear out to listen.
“And you, Miss Schnee?” He asks, startling her for a moment. “A girl born into fame and fortune certainly doesn’t need the extra work. So, why choose this, and not some cushy job in Atlas?”
“I didn’t make this decision alone,” Weiss answers as soon as she gets her composure back, “Schnee and Kuchinashi; two noble families defined by honor. Sakura and I both have legacies to uphold. She was always going to be a warrior, but it wasn’t until I found a way to stand on my own two feet—to catch up to her—that my path was set in stone. It’s our duty.”
“Interesting.” Once again, Doctor Oobleck leaves without giving any insights. A while ago, Blake ran ahead to see if she could find the Beowolf’s pack. It takes less than two seconds for the teacher to catch up, perching on a nearby wall that had partially crumbled. “And what about you, Blake? You seem to carry yourself with a sense of purpose.”
“There’s too much wrong in this world to just stand by and do nothing,” Blake’s level tone is as unshakable as her conviction, “Inequality, corruption… someone has to stop it.” Yang thinks it’s truly admirable, but maybe Oobleck has a different opinion.
“Very well, then… How?” It’s a direct, heavy question, and one that rattles the cat Faunus.
“I…” She stammers, hanging her head low. The doctor says nothing as he walks away. Yang assumes he’s about to ask the question of the day to Ruby next, but instead he signals for the team to gather.
“I believe that will have to for today,” Oobleck says calmly, “It’s clear our target has no interest in rejoining its pack yet. This is not uncommon for Grimm, but disappointing. You three, set up camp in that building there. Your leader and I will secure the perimeter. Come, Ruby.” And with that, the two speedsters disappear.
Ruby follows the professor dutifully, rounding a corner right to a dead-end. It’s a cliff, owing to the ground having given way long ago. In the distance, a herd of massive Grimm, unlike any she’s ever seen, march through the forest below. They dwarf even the trees, with massive curled tusks and a long, thick trunk protruding from their faces.
“Woah,” She gasps, careful to keep her voice down, “What are those? They look awesome!”
“Those, my dear girl,” The doctor says calmly, “are Goliaths.”
“Let’s kill it.” She raises Crescent Rose, only for her weapon to be gently pushed back down.
“I’m afraid your sniper rifle will do little more than… agitate a Grimm of their size.”
“But what if they attack us?” She asks worriedly. There are at least six Goliaths in that herd, and Crescent Rose is the highest caliber weapon Team RWBY has.
“Fret not, Ruby,” He answers calmly, “Those Goliaths couldn’t care less about us. See, not every Grimm is mindless; or rather, not every Grimm is still mindless. They learn as they grow, just like humans, and Grimm of their size have undoubtedly lived for centuries.
“And in that time, they’ve learned strategy. Carelessly attacking our walls gains them little, and razing a small band of humans will do nothing but bring a larger, deadlier force. One that will surely spell the creatures’ ends.”
“Then…” Ruby’s voice trails off for a moment before she raises her question, “Why are they still so close to the city? What are they doing?”
“Waiting.” His tone is gravely serious before he turns and walks away from the ledge. Ruby’s gaze lingers on the herd for a moment longer, and she could swear she sees one of the Goliaths turn its head to look at her.
“Doctor Oobleck?” She asks as she catches up to him, “I’ve been wondering—”
“Wondering why I’ve been interrogating your teammates all day?” He finishes the question, though it’s not quite what she was going to say.
“Actually, I’ve been wondering, why did you want to become a Huntsman?”
“Look around and tell me what you see.” He gestures to the destroyed cityscape, and her eyes survey the wreckage. She’s honestly not sure what she’s supposed to be looking for, though.
“Lots of old buildings… empty streets…”
“I see lives that could have been saved.” He says somberly, leading her through the desolated land as he explains, “As a Huntsman, it is my job to protect the people; and though I’m more than capable of doing so with conventional weaponry, I believe I can have a much larger impact using my mind.
“As a teacher, I am able to take knowledge and put it in the hands of every student who passes through my classroom. As a Huntsman, I can turn tragedies like this one into opportunities. Opportunities to learn, and grow stronger. I am a Huntsman, Ruby, because there’s nothing else in this world I would rather be.”
“I can’t believe we didn’t find anything,” Yang groans as the fire that Blake is working on crackles to life. The sun has already dipped below the horizon, yet it feels they’re no close to finding their prey.
“We’ve always been fortunate enough to be at the right place at the right time,” The cat Faunus murmurs as she looks up at her partner, “I guess we can’t always have luck on our side.” There’s a beat of quiet, the three of them wondering what their next move should be.
“That’s not what I meant,” Weiss breaks the silence, although neither of her teammates understand what she’s talking about. Blake looks up at her, and the heiress continues, “About upholding the legacy. There’s more to it than that.”
“Yeah,” Yang sighs, “Same here. I mean—I don’t know…” She shakes her head. Blake can’t help but be a bit relieved she’s not the only one shaken by the doctor’s questioning.
“I don’t know, either.” She admits as she stands up, “I know what I want to do, but… I figured I’d always take things one step at a time.” Truth is, after her immediate goal of stopping this newest, worst version of the White Fang, she didn't know where she was headed next.
“Well, it doesn’t matter,” Yang flashes a reassuring smile, her violet eyes glinting in the firelight, “We know why we’re here. Right?” The quiet that follows is tense; thankfully, it’s shattered by the doctor returning, with their leader hot on his heels.
“Ah, wonderful!” The professor exclaims as he speeds into the ruined building, “A textbook campfire!”
“Fire!” Ruby gasps, kneeling in front of the makeshift hearth and sighing happily, “So warm…”
“Very good,” Oobleck continues at his usual, blistering pace, “Eat your dinners and hurry to bed. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover tomorrow. We’ll also need you to take turns keeping watch over our temporary abode. Any volunteers?”
“I’ll do it,” Weiss says, beating Ruby to the punch. She heads to a nearby vantage point, leaving the others to turn in for the night, as instructed.
“Blake, are you awake?” Yang asks softly, confirming Blake’s suspicion that she was still up. They’re well into Weiss’ watch by now, yet sleep seems to have eluded the three of them. Yet the professor and their leader are sleeping soundly.
“Yeah,” the cat Faunus answers quietly.
“Why do you think he asked us about being a Huntress?” The question comes quickly, though she already knew that it was the thing keeping her partner up this night. It’s been gnawing at them both. “Like… What was he trying to say?”
“Maybe he was just curious,” Blake hums, even though she doesn’t believe it.
“You think?” Yang doesn’t buy it either.
“When I said I wanted to honor my family’s name,” Weiss interjects, joining the conversation, “I meant it. But… it’s not what you think. I’m not stupid. I’m fully aware that ever since my father took control, the Schnee Dust Company has operated in a… moral grey area.”
“That’s putting it lightly,” Blake scoffs, though she’s quite glad that her friend isn’t blind to her father’s atrocities.
“Which is why I feel the need to make things right,” She spits back, “If I had taken a cushy job in Atlas, nothing would have changed. My father wasn’t the start of our name, and I refuse to let him be the end of it. I’m sure Sakura feels the same about her grandfather.”
“All my life, I fought for what I thought was right.” Blake rolls onto her back. In the flickering firelight, she can almost see his wilting rose emblem painted in shadows on the ceiling. “Adam did more than just teach me to fight. He was my partner; my… boyfriend. He always assured me that what we were doing would make the world a better place.
“It was a long time—too long—before I realized that his ‘perfect future’ wasn’t so perfect for everyone else. I joined the Academy because I knew Hunters were regarded as the most noble warriors in the world, always fighting for what was right. I hadn’t really thought past that. After graduation, how will I… How can I undo so many years of hate?”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” Yang says, her voice brimming with more pride than she deserves, “You’re not one to back down from a challenge, Blake.”
“But I am!” She protests, “I do it all the time. When you learned I was a Faunus, I ran. When I realized my boyfriend of years was a monster, I ran. Even my Semblance; I leave behind a Shadow, an empty copy of me to take the hit so I can run away.”
“At least you two have something that drives you,” Yang’s voice is uncharacteristically melancholic as she admits, “I’ve just kind of always… gone with the flow. And that’s fine—I mean, that’s who I am—but how long can I really do that for? I want to be a Huntres… not really to be a hero, but because I want a life where I won’t know what tomorrow will bring, and that’ll be a good thing.
“I’m not like Ruby,” She sighs, smiling sadly at her sleeping sister, “She’s always wanted to be a Huntress. It’s like she said: ever since she was a kid, she’s dreamt about being the heroes in the books. Helping people and saving the day; never asking for anything in return. Even when she couldn’t fight, she knew that’s what she wanted to do. That’s why she trained so hard to get where she is today.”
“Well, she’s still just a kid,” Weiss comments, as if there’s a significant difference between the three of them and their leader.
“She’s only two years younger,” Blake interjects, “We’re all kids.”
“Not anymore,” Yang says somberly, “I mean, look where we are! In the middle of a war zone and armed to the teeth.”
“It’s… the life we chose,” Blake sighs.
“It’s a job,” Weiss corrects, “We all had this romanticized vision of being a Huntress, but at the end of the day, it’s a job to protect the people. And whatever we want will have to come second.” The other two sigh and settle back down on their bedrolls, recognizing that the heiress is right.
“Wake up, Ruby,” the gentle, melodic voice of her partner—combined with a soft hand nudging her shoulder—stirs Ruby back to the waking world. Silver eyes flutter open, greeted by Weiss leaning over her, the pale skin of her face practically glowing in the campfire’s light. “It’s your turn.”
“Right,” Ruby beams, making sure to keep her voice down. She rises, scooping up her Crescent Rose and heading to the same vantage point Weiss had taken up previously. Her partner, on the other hand, settles into the now-empty bedroll she left behind.
Sadly, boredom sets in quickly after Weiss turns in for the night. She tells herself that it’s a good thing; that the lack of interesting things happening means her companions can rest peacefully. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s boring spending her watch looking through the scope of her rifle at an empty courtyard.
Occasionally a lone Grimm might wander across the field, threatening to give her something to do. Then a few minutes pass, and the beast will wander off to the west, and Ruby’s boredom will remain undisturbed. That is, until, about two hours into her watch, when a tiny sliver of white fabric in the distance catches her eye.
She adjusts the magnification on her scope and, sure enough, spots the familiar tabard of the White Fang uniform. It’s gone in a second, though, as the grunt wearing it passes a building and disappears from sight. Ruby glances back at her sleeping companions before leaping out the window in a flurry of rose petals. She has to make sure that patrol won’t get near the camp.
The young Huntress comes to a stop about a city block from her target, a pair of White Fang members. The two continue on their march for sometime, unaware of her presence, until a careless misstep sends a piece of debris scattering across the ground.
“What was that?” One of the Faunus whirls around, forcing her to cower behind a destroyed segment of wall.
“What was what?” Their partner asks.
“I—I thought I heard… something. A Beowolf, maybe.”
“Whatever, dude,” The second scoffs, impatient, “Our patrol is done. The base is right there, let’s just get back inside.” The two start walking, but Ruby waits one, two, three seconds before daring to risk peeking her head out from her hiding spot. She spots the two heading off toward one of the buildings, a little bit more composed than the others.
The grunts enter through the open doorway, and Ruby risks getting closer to get a better look. In the dark, it’s hard to make out exactly what happens as they start to vanish from sight. But, given where they are and its history, there’s only one explanation she can think of. One that explains why there was no sign of them at all today.
She bolts to her feet, turning to sprint back to camp, but just as her feet hit the old, cracked pavement, it gives way. A massive sinkhole yawns open beneath her feet; the sudden chaos sends her weapon flying from her hands. She scrambles for a handhold to grasp, but finds nothing, plummeting into the abyss.
Weiss looks down at the inky darkness of the pit, the hole in the world whose sudden appearance must’ve been the sound that forced them all from their slumber. This is supposed to be a search for Ruby, though, and her partner is decidedly not a sinkhole. The only thing stopping her from moving on is a piece of red metal, twinkling in the dim moonlight, just on the other side of the chasm. She’d recognize Crescent Rose anywhere.
“I think she fell,” Weiss says, not even bothering to hide the morose worry in her voice. She gestures to the pit, though it’s impossible to miss, “Down there.”
“Oh my…” The doctor mutters as he peers over the edge. After a moment of study, though, a bolt of inspiration seems to strike the man as he begins to ramble, “Of course! Of course, of course…”
“What is it?” Yang asks frightfully. The students watch in mild horror as their mentor paces around them, his talk somehow growing more animated by the second.
“How could I be so stupid! Mountain Glenn! Yes! An expansion of Vale inevitable destroyed by Grimm. Previously home to thousands of people; working people, commuting to the main city, built a subway system to their place of work. Grimm attacks increase; population in danger, now desperately searching for shelter. City evacuates into metro tunnels and what do they find!? The region southeast of Vale is known for dense forests and sprawling caves!”
“Doc, what are you saying?”
“My dear,” He clasps Yang’s shoulders, practically shaking her, “We’re not just looking for an underground crime network. We’re looking for an underground crime network!”
“They’ve been working in caves?” Blake asks as he pulls back, regaining some composure. Though it doesn’t seem to slow his speech much.
“Not quite. This was Vale’s first real attempt at expansion, and the subway provided a vital, safe route in and out of Vale proper. Between that and an aggressive perimeter defense, Mountain Glenn held out for some time, but without Vale’s natural barriers, it was doomed from the start. As the end drew near, the citizens made a last-ditch attempt at survival, taking up shelter beneath the city, in massive caves previously cleared out for their subway, cutting themselves off from the surface.”
“An underground village?” Weiss asks; it seems impossible, but it would explain why parts of Mountain Glenn looked like they were abandoned mid-construction. No use building on the surface when everyone’s underground.
“In a manner of speaking, yes. A safe haven. Until… An explosion opened the mouth of another cavern, filled with subterranean Grimm.” He didn’t need to explain what happened to the people. Instead, he ends the gruesome story by saying, “After that, the kingdom sealed off the subway tunnels, creating the world’s largest tomb.”
“If Ruby’s down there…” Yang steels herself, unyielding determination serving as emotional armor to mask her fear, “We have to find her.”
Ruby hits the ground hard, only enduring the impact through her Aura. This far deep, there was no light, save for the thinnest slivers of moonlight from the newly created hole in the roof of the cave. And then the blinding glare of a door in the wall opening up and White Fang grunts emerging.
“Freeze!” Shouts one of them; from their silhouettes she can tell they must have their rifles raised. Instinctively, she reaches for her scythe, only to remember she doesn’t have it.
“Hey!” She shouts as the grunt grabs her arm, but she manages to yank it free, “Hands off!” Her Aura is all but shot after absorbing the fall, so she opts to throw an unempowered punch instead. Oh how she wishes she had trained with Yang and her dad, though, as her attack doesn’t even make the person flinch.
She tries for another, aimed at their face, but they block it and hit her in the jaw with a nasty hook. Ruby drops like a sack of potatoes. She could have absorbed that hit with her Aura, but letting them win now buys her time to recover her strength.
“The boss is going to want to see this one,” Comments the thug she didn’t fight head-on. From the ground, she can see that he has a small barb jutting out from just above his ankle; his Faunus trait, most likely. She goes limp when they grab her by the arms, grunting with effort as they lift her up and start dragging her.
She catches glimpses of the White Fang’s work as her eyes adjust to the dark. Nearby, a Paladin mech lifts cargo, loading it onto a train car. They follow the train’s body down the tracks, passing by two grunts arguing over what sounds like a bomb, until they reach the control car at the front.
“Hey boss!” Shouts the man with the ankle barb, “We found something you might want to see!”
“Is it good or bad, Perry?” The familiar voice of Roman Torchwick echoes from the control car, “Because, let me tell you, I have had a day.”
“Uhh…” The grunts carrying her look at each other before Perry says uncertainly, “It’s a… little girl.” Roman pokes his head out, shining a flashlight on her.
“That would be bad,” he snarls. He hops down, Melodic Cudgel in hand, and gestures for the two underlings to step back, “I’ll take it from here, boys. Come on, Little Red! I know you’re playing possum over there.” They let her go, dropping her to her knees, but she quickly rises.
Is it the most tactical decision to try to fight him right now? No, definitely not. But just seeing the mobster’s stupid, smug face gets her blood boiling, so she literally leaps at the chance to deck him. Predictably, he dodges the attack and hits her in the back with his cane.
Ruby turns around to face him, only to be kicked in the chest for her trouble. She’s sent sprawling onto her back, sliding across the dirt. He laughs at her, leaning on his cane casually.
“Wow,” he exclaims, “You are much more manageable without that oversized gardening tool of yours.” She springs back up and charges at him, but he simply sidesteps her, tripping her with his cane. Laughing, he turns to his underling, “You know, Perry? I really needed this.
“But, seriously…” he kneels down to be at her level, tilting her chin up with the barrel of Melodic Cudgel, “How’d you find this place, Red?” She growls at him, but instead of trying to throw another punch, she bursts into rose petals. It only lasts a moment, but it’s enough to startle him and make a break for it, sprinting as fast as she can in a random direction.
That is, until something catches her by the shoulder and yanks back, pulling her to the ground. It’s the hook of his cane, attached by wire to the rest of his weapon, still in his hand.
“I see you’ve got some tricks up your sleeve.” Roman calls as the wire starts to reel her in like a caught fish, “But let me make this clear: we’re not through here, yet.” Just then, an explosion rings out elsewhere in the cavern, drawing everyone’s attention.
“What the—” Gasps Perry, the Faunus having a better view of the situation than either human. Ruby can barely make out humanoid figures running out into the open, followed by four more people, seemingly giving chase.
“Well, we were about to move out, anyway!” Roman snarls. At least the distraction buys her another chance at escape, making a mad dash for the approaching people. A firework round from Melodic Cudgel sails past her as she runs, the shot going wide in the dark and detonating elsewhere harmlessly. Nearing the group, Ruby’s suspicions are confirmed, her team has come to save her!
“Ruby!” Yang exclaims as her sister jumps into her arms. Never before has she been so relieved to be crushed in Yang’s python grip. The elder sister spins her around as the others catch up.
“Are you okay?” Weiss asks as Ruby is set down.
“I’m fine, I’m fine.” Ruby steps back from the hug, addressing the others, “But, listen! Torchwick’s got all sorts of weapons and robots down there.” She gestures behind her, back toward the train.
“What?” Blake balks as Yang passes Crescent Rose back to its rightful wielder.
“Androids, mechs, they’re all loaded up on the train cars!”
“But the tunnels are sealed! The tracks lead to a dead-end!” Doctor Oobleck protests, as confused as she is about Roman’s plan. And yet, that doesn’t stop the sharp hiss and low rumbling of the train stirring to life. Ruby’s first instinct is to call for backup, but there’s no way there’s any signal down here.
“Doctor, what do we do?” Weiss asks frantically.
“I believe we only have one option,” he states, his voice gravely serious. Ruby couldn’t agree more, turning to face where she knows the train will be coming from.
“We’re stopping that train.”
Getting onto the train, it turns out, is the easiest part. The train may barrel past them, but with a little boost from their Auras, the five are able to hop on top of the caboose without much difficulty.
“Hurry, children!” Doctor Oobleck calls, “We must get to the control car, quickly!” Even as he yells, though, Weiss is distracted by something: a hatch in the top of the car that yields to… something.
“Uh, Doctor?” Weiss points to the device, a metal cylinder laced with wires, “What’s that?”
“That, my dear…” He kneels down to inspect it, saying decisively, “Appears to be a bomb.” The members of Team RWBY flinch back instinctively. Suddenly, the entire car lurches, and the distance to the next car starts to increase. With no time to waste, they all leap to the next car. The caboose gradually recedes before suddenly detonating, destroying the tunnel walls.
“That can’t be good…” Mutters the professor. Again, an idea strikes him and he races to the next car, flipping up the hatch. He looks back to his students and exclaims, “They all have bombs!”
“This doesn’t make any sense!” Yang shouts.
“Seems they really don’t want us on this train!” Ruby quips as the next car decouples and starts to slow. It’s a race against time now, and it seems the White Fang are keen to slow them down as much as possible, as another car detaches. The students all turn to keep moving, but Oobleck watches the detached car explode.
“He’s leading Grimm to the city!” The doctor shouts, “It’s the cars! When they explode, they create openings for the Grimm!” Sure enough, a horde of Grimm push into the subway tunnel, hot on the train’s tail. Sparing not even a moment, he issues orders to Team RWBY, “You three! Get below and try to stop the bombs! Ruby, you and I need to reach the control car right this second!”
Yang, Weiss, and Blake drop down into one of the train cars, ready to fight. Only to find this particular car empty. A bit frustrating for Yang, personally, but it’s fine. Just more time to prepare.
“This is what we trained for,” Yang states grimly, taking the lead. The trio rush forward, just in time for their first obstacle to enter the car from up ahead. It’s the tricolored girl from the end of the Paladin fight; Neopolitan, the report called her. The one who helped Torchwick get away with that dirty trick. “You two go on ahead. This one’s mine.”
It’s Yang who strikes first, a shot from Ember Selica creating the opening her teammates need to slip past Neo’s guard and press forward. She doesn’t waste a second, dashing in with a barrage of punches. Yet no matter how fast she attacks, Neopolitan is one step ahead, weaving between the attacks untouched. She even uses her damn parasol to deflect attacks.
A whirling kick to the side of her face sends Yang to the ground, but she springs back up quickly. Only to have her next attack intercepted, the punch caught in her opponent’s arms before the blonde is launched back with a kick to the solar plexus. When she recovers, Yang fires a blast from her gauntlet, only for the flames to disperse as the parasol flares open.
No matter what she tries, she can’t land a hit. Every miss makes her blood boil, her irises and vision both turning red. The icing on the rage inducing cake is when Neo somersaults out of range from her attack and casually takes a seat on a nearby ammo crate, grinning playfully.
As Ruby and Doctor Oobleck race along the top of the train, they find a dreadful sight ahead of them: multiple Paladins climbing up onto the train, ready to fight. The doctor takes a sip from his thermos and, with a flick of the wrist, it turns into a flamethrower, briefly making Ruby question what, exactly, he had been drinking this whole time.
Undaunted, he discharges a volley of fireballs from his weapon, slamming into the first and ripping apart its arms. He continues his advance, wielding his flamethrower like a lance and tearing into the Paladin’s chassis with sheer heat.
“Keep going!” The doctor urges, “I’ll clear a path!” Sure enough, the professional steals the spotlight, the blazing fire of his armament drawing in the focus of the mechs’ pilots. In the harsh shadows cast by the flame, Ruby is able to slip past unnoticed.
Blake and Weiss press on, breezing past White Fang grunts, but when they near the control car, a real opponent stands in their way. The infamous Roman Torchwick, as infuriatingly smug as ever.
“Hello, kitty cat,” the mobster teases, twirling his cane, “You miss me? And you’re tag-teaming with a Schnee? How scandalous!” Blake hisses and leaps at him, unsheathing Gambol Shroud and slashing at him in the same movement. Roman parries the attack and tries to riposte, but he only hits a Shadow.
Torchwick raises Melodic Cudgel, preparing to fire a rocket. Blake creates a new Shadow, and a Glyph appears beneath it, infusing the copy with Rock Dust and turning it into a stone statue. It shatters under the explosive force of the rocket, but the blast doesn’t touch either student-Huntress.
“I know you don’t like using Dust,” Weiss comments, the chamber in her rapier whirling to life, “But I’d be remiss not to use all my resources to do what’s right.” Myternaster’s tip touches the floor, and a burst of icy crystals rush forward toward their opponent.
Blake doesn’t hesitate to leap into action, charging right alongside the ice. When Roman tries to dodge the crystals, Blake is right there slashing at him. He barely parries the blow, but she keeps up a relentless assault. Just when he thinks he has an opening to counterattack, she spots a blur of white behind him.
Sure enough, Myterenaster strikes true, Weiss having dashed around the two fighters to attack Torchwick from behind. With a slash to his side, it knocks him down. He rolls onto his back, facing down two swords pointed at him.
“Why are we fighting?” Roman tries to sow discord between the pair, addressing Blake, “I saw you at the rally. We both know who the real—” She interrupts him with a kick to the jaw, shutting up the mobster for now.
Nothing Yang tries seems to faze Neopolitan. Even when she manages to grab an incoming kick and tries to throw her, Neo simply turns it into an acrobatic maneuver, landing neatly on her feet. She closes the gap again, but her tricolored opponent weaves under her arm, grabbing it as she whirls up onto Yang’s shoulders.
She focuses her Aura into her captured arm, expecting an attack there. Instead, Neo falls, using the momentum of her descent to throw the blonde up into the ceiling of the train car. With her back exposed, the hit knocks the wind out of her; the crash back onto the floor leaves her vision swimming.
Neopolitan is ready to finish the fight, unsheathing a sword nestled within her parasol. Casually, she trods over to her bested opponent, still struggling to breathe, and raises her blade, ready to deliver a deadly strike straight to her heart.
A figure clad in black and red—their face hidden behind the fearsome visage of a Nevermore—suddenly appears, forcing Neo away from her prey with two quick slashes of their sword. The figure pauses the fight for a moment, kneeling down to inspect Yang’s condition, before standing up and drawing their sword again, the Fire Dust laced in the blade warping the air around it with the heat it creates.
Neo knows better than to pick a fight she can’t win, so she makes a hasty retreat, using her illusory Semblance to mask her escape. Satisfied, the masked figure cuts through the air, creating a whorling vortex of black and red energy. Yang barely recovers in time to catch a glimpse of the mysterious swordfighter disappearing into the vortex. Something about the person’s long, raven hair is dreadfully familiar to her, but she doesn’t have time to think about it. Her team needs her.
The team reunites only a few cars short of the control car, but it may already be too late. Just barely, Ruby can make out the barricade between the subway tunnel and Vale proper. If the train hits it, the explosion created by the remaining bombs will blow a hole right through to the surface, providing a direct path for Grimm to enter the city.
“What do we do?” Blake looks to the leader, uncertain. She definitely has a better sense of how far the barricade is, and how much time until impact. Ruby turns to her partner, the two locking eyes through the darkness and passing a silent conversation between them.
Without any flourish, Weiss deploys her Ice Dust once again, a shell of densely packed ice starting to form around them. At the same time, Ruby shifts Crescent Rose into its rifle form, takes aim, and fires a round behind the group, directly into one of the bombs and triggering a chain reaction that envelopes everything in roaring flames.
Weiss’ ice shell did its job, though, and even with their ears ringing the girls are able to emerge intact. As predicted, the train opened up a path to the surface, the night sky above choked out by acrid smoke. The good news is that the plan worked; instead of the thriving cityscape, they are surrounded by the forest just outside of Vale, with the city’s great wall at their back.
The bad news is that there are still a lot of Grimm exiting the tunnel, and it looks like RWBY and Oobleck are the only ones in any shape to fend off the horde. Again, Ruby and Weiss need only to glance at each other to understand what they other is thinking: they’re going to need backup.
