Chapter 1 Synopsis:
The Darkness ship crashed into the peak of Mountain Glenn and has stirred up the curiosity of the denizens of Remnant. Gryphon conducted a powerful hive ritual to create a Hive Storm that defends the mountain from would be intruders. In Beacon Academy, teams RWBY JNPR and CBSS were introduced and coerced into investigating the fallen starship it midnight by team CRDL. Gryphon was working on a project when he intercepted a military transmission from an unknown source planning to investigate the mountain.
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Clover was understandably uneasy, going to investigate some superstorm above a crashed alien spaceship? It was a recipe for disaster. There were so many unknowns, having Harriet and Winter along wasn't alleviating his worry.
As the dropship flew over the skies of Vale, Harriet Bree noticed the way her leader was fidgeting in his seat.
Harriet: Would you calm down? We're just going to get some energy measurements from the ground. It's not like we're going closer to the mountain itself.
Clover let out a little chuckle as he sighed.
Clover: Sure, I understand that. But, what if whatever crashed comes out to run us away from it's home?
Specialist Schnee looks over with a raised brow.
Winter: Scared of monsters?
Clover: Only the ones I've never seen before...
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Three of CBSS' members walked through the night streets of Vale, heading towards the bullhead landing pads.
Nix: Neither of you have seen Skylar since lunch today?
Shae: Yes, it's beginning to worry me.
Imperia: She told me she was going to get some air last time a saw her.
As a good leader should be, Nix was concerned. Skylar has been prone to disappearing like this ever since they were first brought together as a team, but she would usually tell everyone where to find her then. She's been doing this more and more often since the talk of some famous criminal being in the city.
Turning a corner at the edge of the sidewalk, CBS sees CRDL with RWBY, JNPR, and Skylar. They were all immersed in a conversation until Imperia gave a loud whistle that gained their attention.
Ruby: Oh! Hey guys, look who we found. Apparently Skylar got here before anyone else!
Nora: She was obviously excited to see Aliens! Why else would she be down in Vale by herself with all of the criminals around at night?
Nix: Why indeed...
Cardin: Alright, if you nerds are done, we only paid the pilot enough Lien to take two teams.
Most of the teams seem upset about this aside from Jaune, who was fist pumping.
Jaune: We volunteer to be left behind!
At this, Skylar lets out a loud sigh before walking into the bullhead. Everyone watches in confusion.
Blake: What's she doing?
Nora: *gasp!* Is she going to hijack the ship?! I hope so!
Weiss: So we can all get arrested? Right.
Pyrrha: Maybe she's just convincing the pilot?
Nora: *GASP!* WITH HER FISTS?! God I hope so.
Skylar walks out of the bullhead, lacking bloody fists or ship keys to Nora's disappointment.
Skylar: He'll take us all now, let's just hurry up and go.
Despite being confused, everyone boards the ship. Nix takes a seat next to her as the ship takes off towards Mountain Glenn while Skylar checks her weapons.
Nix: Skylar.
Skylar: I know what you're going to ask...can't we talk about this in the morning?
Nix looks at the tired expression on her teammate's face and decides to relent.
Nix: 7AM, school's rooftop. Be there or I'll ask you in front of everyone.
Skylar: Thanks, boss.
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The Hive Storm roars violently and thrums loudly as Soul-lightning descended from the abyss black clouds and struck the hive chain fence.
Gryphon sat outside on top of the highest building closest to the edge of the Hive Storm. The weapon in his hand twitched with the trademark instability of the Taken.
Gryphon: Here they come.
Gryphon saw the Altesian dropship land a slight distance away from the storm through his sniper scope. He let out a hum at the sight of the three robots taking point as three humans walk before them.
Gryphon: Their military? The Vex look sturdier than these things. They kinda remind me of Shaxx's Redjacks.
He examined the women that were there and found himself thinking of Petra and Mara. His relationship with Petra was intended to be private until the Awoken Queen found out and included herself. Their...bedroom activities were...hectic to say the least.
One of the robots kneeled down and a sensory array extended from the block on it's back. Gryphon squinted at the machine as the woman in white took out a cellular looking device. He turned on the network scanner in his helmet and eavesdropped on their conversations.
Woman in white: It's giving off heavy radiation as well as immense electrical energy. Strange...
Female: What's strange?
Woman in white: There are electrical signals coming from inside the mountain.
Male: Are you sure that isn't the ship?
Woman in white: It's coming from deep inside the mountain. The underground city.
Male: The General said he was showing a live recording of this to Ozpin, right? Should we report back?
Gryphon: Okay, I think it's time to scare them off.
Gryphon takes aim with the Aposematica and zeros in on the robot with the array. The Taken arrow whistles through the air and pierced the head of the machine perfectly which triggered a wave of paralyzing energy that freezes the humans stiff and made the machines short circuit.
Gryphon smirks and equips Hell's Bellows before jumping down from the build and uses warlock jump to slow his descent.
Landing cleanly as his helmet disappears, the first thing he does is destroy the robots with his shotgun. He shot them with the weapon, causing them to disintegrate with demonfire (dark red solar energy). He dropped a drum magazine and loads another one as he walks over to the humans.
Gryphon: Initially, I was hoping to keep the locals of this planet away from the ship with the intimidating storm, but that didn't work. So...
Gryphon stepped closer to the woman in white, his eyes aglow with Soulfire.
Gryphon: Please, do me the favor of sending an army. I'm out of practice.
He backed away with a laugh as the glow left his eyes.
Gryphon: I'm kidding! Mostly. I won't hesitate to visit wherever it is you live and make it a blazing hellscape if you cause me trouble. Bye!
Gryphon closed his hand around a hive sigil and transmutation circles appeared below the three before draining them of enough to render them unconscious only. He then closed his hand around another sigil and they were teleported to the last place they touched solid ground.
As Gryphon walks back to the chain barrier, he grabs the robot with the arrow in it's head and brings it with him.
Gryphon: The Foundry should have finished the excavator by now. Now I can see what kinds of materials this plant churns out while I get the pyramid going again.
Riven's voice comes through the comms, slightly muddled by the sounds of the Pyramid's engine room.
Riven: About that. Without a strong enough power source, this craft won't make it out of orbit.
Gryphon: Damn...well, I guess we'll need to plan for an excursion soon. Or maybe, if I can get the Throne World Gate set up, we could get parts from the others.
Riven: Perhaps, but that might bring unwanted attention in the form of Hive or the Darkness itself.
Gryphon nodded, figuring that his partner was correct.
Gryphon: Right, excursion it is.
He then felt as strange presence looking at him. Soulfire enveloped his free arm before a Tormentor chain materialized on it. He whips his arm to his right and a chain shoots out into the shaded trees nearby. He recalls the chain and it drags a black squid creature into Gryphon's grasp. It's head was made of glass and it's tentacles squirmed and bounced off Gryphon's armor as it struggled to escape.
Gryphon: Ooh, disco ball? Eh, I don't care.
His grip tightened and Arc energy passed from his hand to the monster, shocking it to death. It was quickly atomized before he continued through the chain barrier.
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The four groups of beacon students were now walking through a cave near the mountain because the bullhead pilot was scared to go any closer and Skylar knew a way under the mountain to avoid the storm.
Imperia: Man, Skye. This is a pretty convenient secret path!
Shae: Yes, exactly how did you discover this?
Skylar lets out a small giggle.
Skylar: Sorry girls. A magician never reveals her secrets.
Nix looked at her suspiciously but stayed quiet as the others spoke up.
Weiss: Can't we do this faster?! If we're late for class or caught outside of our dorms before sunup then it a week's worth of detentions!
Everyone stopped walking and looked between each other before sprinting to the light at the end of the tunnel. Gasps of awe were heard as they laid eyes on the stationary Constellation Tracer hovering above the previously decommissioned Black Armory Forge taken from Bergusia. The underside of the Pyramid ship makes an ominous ceiling as if they were staring at an empty night sky.
Blake was first to hear the sound of the network scanner picking up radio chatter and beckoned the others to follow quietly. All of them took hold of their weapons as they got closer to the source of the sound. They found a robed figure etching symbols onto a pair of black obelisks while they sat next to the network scanner.
Ozpin (radio): You should have asked to fly through Vale's airspace, James. Now, thanks to your impulsiveness, the person there sees us as hostile.
As everyone collectively realized what they had done, Shae felt like something was off as she payed closer attention to the robed figure. He suspicion was well founded as the hologram flickered in and out.
Shae: Everyone, it knows we're here!
The rest of Cloudburst drew their weapons quickly while the other three teams remained confused until they heard the sound of clapping behind them, causing them to whirl around and see Gryphon in Hunter armor lacking his helmet.
Gryphon: I'm surprised that I managed to miss that underground tunnel. Though I would have missed you all entirely if you kids weren't running like chickens with their heads cut off.
Imperia moved to the front of the group and raised her shield, The Best Defense, putting herself between Gryphon and the rest while Skylar pointed out the obvious.
Skylar: He looks a little too...human to be an Alien.
Yang: Yeah...but he also looks a little too hot to be human!
Ruby: Yang.
Yang: What? You can't tell me I'm wrong!
Gryphon watched the teens argue while Riven spoke to him.
Riven: How are you handling this? The experienced military officers were one thing, but these are kids.
Gryphon: Something tells me one of these four groups is going to attack regardless of what I do.
As if by divine will, CRDL pushed past Imperia with their weapons drawn, drawing the attention of everyone else.
Jaune: Cardin, what are you doing?! That mountain monster!
Cardin: Why don't you stay quiet, coward. My team are gonna be heroes for bringing the Alien to the headmaster. So, stand back and shut up!
All of CRDL rushed towards Gryphon, who was blankly staring at them.
Cardin: Your face pisses me off, so stand there while I beat it in!
Gryphon sighs as Stasis crystals grow across his body and stasis energy warps the dirt into a strange pattern. He catches Cardin's mace with one hand. CBSS, JNPR, and RWBY shiver at the sudden temperature drop.
Gryphon: Just who the fuck do you think you are?
He raises his hand into the air and casts his Super, Desperado. An ice revolver manifests in his grasp and he fires two shots into Cardin's chest, one to destroy the Aura and the other to freeze him.
[File name: Stasis Desperado]...
[Opening File]....
In direct opposition to the Solar Gunslinger, Stasis Desperado is of more use to a Bounty Hunter. It excels at shutting down supers and bringing targets in alive. Banned from Crucible.
—Regent
[Closing File]....
Gryphon ducks under a slash from Dove and freezes him with two shots before throwing him into Russel to block his daggers and using the frozen Cardin as a blunt weapon to knock all three out.
He narrowly dodges Sky's spear and throws a stasis knife into his foot that creates a block of ice to keep him still before Gryphon whips him with the Stasis revolver, freezing him instantly.
Awestruck, the remaining three teams watched with slack jaws as the mysterious human defeated a team of four beacon students in seconds. They flinch as he turns to face him, the cold air now becoming electrified.
Gryphon: Anyone else irritated by my features?
The students gathered their resolve and raised their weapons, eliciting a heavy sigh from the Guardian.
Gryphon: Your funerals.
Just before he could cast another Super, he heard the clicking of guns behind him. He turns to several new people, most noticeable is the white haired man in glasses flanked by a blonde and a man in military attire who has multiple machines with him.
Ozpin: I'm sure there's some kind of agreement we can come to that doesn't involve fighting.
Gryphon: Sure. It's called, 'Get the hell off my lawn'.
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