The REDS of war

Volume Two Chapter Nine

"One last push up the hill, come on!" Oliver motivates them or rather fails to once their heady at the top.

Once the team reach the top Goldie glances back down at the many dead Grimm left in their wake. "I think it's fair to say today's been a bit of an... uphill battle?" Goldie snickers from the joke, as Rei groans, Oliver rolls his eyes and Scarlet deadpans. "Oh come on I thought it was funny."

"No, just... just no."

The group glance around with Rei using his binoculars to scout the area around, however this momentary distraction is just enough for a mutated Beowulf to arrive with a pack of about a dozen regulars.

Goldie stares at the mutated Grimm. "Look at the size of that thing!"

Rei sighs, firing an arrow and using his glyph launches several Grimm off the cliff. "Oh oh! Stick together!"

Oliver readies his weapon. "Let's take this thing down."

Scarlet scoffs with a grin. 'This guy thinks he's real tough."

The group try to dispatch it quickly, but find that the mutated Beowulf is somewhat tougher than they expected.

Rei scoffs. "Great! As if the regular grimm weren't bad enough!"

"Get ready! And watch each others' backs!"Oliver says rushing forward.

Scarlet takes a few deep breaths. "Is that a beowolf? What happened to it?"

The group work together and through teamwork and cooperation they defeat the mutated Beowulf with Rei finishing it off using his sword to decapitate the monster.

"Team! That was an incredible display of fighting mastery. We must get to the source of where these mutated monstrosities are coming from, and most importantly - who's behind it. I sense we're getting close! If you can manage to get to the end of the rail line, we just might find the answers we need." Oobleck says to them.

The group follow the tracks further into the forest, Rei leading efforts to find any relics, or clues. The group take a quick minute to break, eating some food, Rei climbs a tree keeping scout. The group continue up the hill, before coming across, however after passing a set of ruins, Rei grumbles.

"Damn it, the train tracks have vanished."

"Hmmm, no sign of those train tracks anywhere. They must be hidden behind one of those doors. See if you can find a way to get them open."

Scarlet glances to Rei. "A key, perhaps?"

Oliver however inspects the door, trying to pick it, he sighs as the pick slips out dented. "We're not getting past these doors without a key."

Rei starts walking around the area. 'Hmm. Where could that key be hiding?"

Scarlet rushes around exploring several vases. "Found something!" She says pulling an object out of a vase revealing it to be a chess piece, a massive chess piece. "Oh..."

"Found it!" Goldie says extending the key to the door out from a box.

She hands the key to Rei who tentatively places it in the door. "Let's see if this works." He says. With a click, the door opens and the team continue down the pathway, looking for the train tracks. The trip is rather peaceful, until a lone boarbatusk attempts to rush them from behind, Rei swiftly pushes Scarlet and Goldie out of the way, blocking the Grimm with a glyph it flips to try and attack again, however before it can land, Oliver stabs through it's underside.

The group continue walking as Rei scouts ahead, with a sigh he reports back to the others. "Look for a key in those vases." He orders.

Oliver sighs glancing down to his sword and shield. "You know, armed with a sword and shield, I've never been more inclined to smash pots in search of a key. Where have I seen that before?"

Scarlet scoffs. !Do we really have to find ANOTHER key?! Ugh... It's gotta be here somewhere..."

"Keep your eyes peeled for a second key!"

The three begin searching for the key in the pots in the area.

"Found something." Rei mutters to himself pulling out another massive chess piece. "Another one?"

Scarlet cheers laughing as she finds the key. "Got it!"

The three join Rei as Scarlet enters the key. Oliver stares on. "Let's see if this works."

Goldie coughs before looking on hopeful. "This looks promising."

Once the door opens they quickly make their way to a small watchtower, they glance around before noticing a dock nearby, and a ship having just arrived.

Rei grabs his binoculars and tries to get a better look. "What are they loading onto that ship? Something's not right."

Scarlet glances around. 'Why is this ship here?"

Oliver's eye's widen. 'A shipping port in forever fall! Who else knows about this...?"

Goldie grabs her earpiece informing Oobleck. "I see a ship with the same symbol as the cargo containers."

"Team... this discovery is a bit unexpected and is worse than I feared. That appears to be an active Merlot Industries ship. But Dr. Merlot hasn't been heard from or seen in ages... I must inform Ozpin at once. Meanwhile, I want you to investigate that ship, but please keep a safe distance."

The team swiftly rush off to try to get to the port, easily dispatching of the Grimm, they instead looking for another key to yet another door, destroy the door. And enter the building the door lef to finding a warehouse full of cages and Grimm remains.

Rei immediately sends what he's seeing to Oobleck. "Dr. Oobleck, do you see this?!"

Oliver scans the area "This temple looks more like a warehouse on the inside."

Scarlet kicks over a cage. "Someone is capturing Grimm in here, but why?"

Rei sighs. 'You know, I thought Professor Port's trophy collection was a bit weird, but this takes things to a whole new level."

Goldie turns to Rei. "Aren't these the same cages we saw in the Emerald Forest?"

Scarlet finds a few papers written on them are notes about a toxic sludge that can enhance Grimm for some kind of mistress. "This is no ordinary temple..."

Rei finds a cage with a baby Beowulf, a small pup. "Someone's been busy collecting grimm." He leaves the cage alone throwing a small piece of food into the cage.

"This temple looks like it's being used as a temporary storage facility - for Grimm of all things! This is quite the discovery!"

The group enter deeper into warehouse like temple and dispatch of a group of roaming Beowulf's, before Rei suddenly vanishes moments later he grows the Beowulf pup at the pack of monsters, that upon the baby landing in one of their hands they quickly run away leaving the team alone.

"Knew it." Rei takes a deep breath, leading the team further once and the others find a large amount of shipping crates.

"Great job! You've made it to the ship. I may need you to get a closer look to see what kind of cargo they're carrying. But, be careful not to be spotted. Who knows what kind of security they have."

The team stealths around for a bit walking behind container after container.

"Check out that open container!" Scarlet says pointing out a single open container.

Rei nods glancing to it. "What's in that container over there?"

Goldie glances to Rei. !Let's sneak over to that container there?" Rei nods.

Oliver sighs. "Cargo is usually in cargo containers, right?"

As the team draw closer to the container Rei is alerted to the crane moving towards their direction.

"Everyone inside." He orders

However in their rush they close the container, before feeling the container be lifted, jostling them around inside it.

"Team?! Where are you? Report in! Students, please!" Oobkeck orders. "Oh dear. Ozpin's not going to be happy about this."

Chapter End.