RWBY Through Worlds (End)

BC7: Bandit Diatribe (Raven & Co.)--2

The bandits suddenly looked up as if they hadn't realized this plane was a war one. Most fliers only carried weaponry for small grimm attacks.

"You're not Raven Branwen with that," the woman said. "Or are you? Are you serious about this?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Raven's face was like flint. "Take a step forward, I dare you."

Everyone else glared at them.

The bandits watched them warily.

"Better yet, they should just surrender," Claw spoke. "With all the advantages we have on our side, we could just take 'em all in. They deserve it. In fact, Piper, why not just do it?"

"Yeah," Piper held up his pipe and began to play something.

The bandits stared at him and some of their eyes glazed over.

"What are you doing?" Raven doubted the wisdom of this plan. "Did I order you to do it?"

Piper couldn't really answer.

"We can just take them down," Claw said. "We should leave this tribe out here. Unless you want to spare them because you used to be one of them."

Apparently whatever good impression Emerald and Mercury had made did not extend to Raven for Claw. [Anyone else notice that that sounds like Ravenclaw from Harry Potter?]

"Watch your tongue," Hazel didn't know anything about Claw, but he knew you didn't talk to a leader like that, especially in front of other people.

Claw didn't like the look of Hazel.

"Just the same, why not just take them down?" Yang said.

"No, we should run, now," Raven said. "They won't follow us. Everyone keep moving."

The campers looked at her uncertainly.

"Are you really a bandit?" One of them said.

"Was this whole thing a setup?" said another.

Jasmine looked at Raven closely but then she said. "I think we'd better just do as she says, they're clearly legit."

"We have a medal and badge and everything," Neptune held up his scroll. "See?"

That seemed to convince the campers.

"Move it," Raven almost yelled at them.

They started to move.

But Piper, already tired, suddenly expended his aura and gasped.

At once the bandits unfroze and looked around.

"It was all a bluff!" said the main one. "They're just trying to get away!"

The entire clan charged the caravan and huntsmen.

Well, that was a huge mistake.

Exactly what Raven predicted happened, the huntsmen leapt into action and the bandits were no match for their skill.

On top of this, Jasmine, ever resourceful, pulled some rock dust out of a container and used it to pin one of them down when they came close.

Raven easily beat a few herself.

By her calculations, only a few of them were well trained enough to compete with huntsmen.

She knew the type. She'd been able to launch more effective attacks because of being the Maiden, but without that, bandit tribes usually couldn't attack cities, they were too well defended. Small towns maybe.

Zapato circled around and shot at some of the bandits that were further back.

They ran for it.

Most of them ran, but the leader suddenly pulled some fire dust out.