The sounds of snores and mumbles echo throughout the bedroom as sunlight starts to blare through the window.
First awake was Jake as a ray of light crawled up his body. He sits upright and shakes his head before examining his surroundings, remembering the events that took place the day before.
Wordlessly, he gets to his feet and walks over to the window, eyeing the view that lay before him. The campus of Atlas Academy was vast and beautiful, clear steps ahead of Haven or Beacon in terms of its design.
"Awake already, eh?"
He turns around to the voice of Qrow Branwen, who had woken up moments ago as well. His voice was raspy and coarse, yet it sounded oddly different than usual.
"Would've liked to get some more shuteye, to be honest." He responds.
Qrow climbs down the ladder of the bunk and gets to his feet. Stretching his limbs, he looks over to the other two sleeping boys. He then glances over to the clock.
"Hey."
Qrow's attention was snapped back to Jake.
"Last night, what do you make of it?"
Qrow rubs his head and raises a brow.
"Eh? Wha...? What do you mean?"
Jake glances out to the window.
"About General Ironwood's plan, doesn't his plan fully go back on what we've been trying to do throughout this whole journey?"
Qrow remains silent. He couldn't deal with such a heavy question, especially after had just woken up.
"Well... let me ask you that question. What do you think of the General's plan?"
Jake glances at the ground momentarily before looking back to the view below him.
"He's narrow-minded."
Qrow's eyes widen slightly.
"Calling back his military for the inevitable panic, his actions towards Mantle, it all seems like one massive gambit. One wrong step, and everything falls apart."
...
"Has he factored in sudden potential errors in his plan? Has he factored in Salem's acquaintances? Cinder may be gone, but Salem still has a plethora of tools up her sleeve, waiting for the perfect moments to utilize them to her advantage."
Jake faces Qrow.
"He's bold, he's daring and firm, but there is a reason why Ozpin has kept the existence of Salem behind closed doors for as long as he's lived. This plan of his has caused him paranoia; this whole thing is shaky."
Qrow hums under his breath. He looks over towards Apollo and Heath, the two still deep in their slumber.
"You don't trust his plan, is that what you're saying?" Qrow asks, to which Jake shrugs.
"I'm simply pointing out its potential flaws. I'm sure he'll have some ways to patch in those holes."
...
"And frankly... I don't think he'd be the type to remain level when he hears about Salem's immortality.."
Qrow's breath hitches as he remembers Ironwood's words.
"Until now, I believed it was impossible to truly turn the tide against Salem. Oz has pushed her back, has kept victory out of her claws, but she will keep returning stronger and stronger... unless we kill her."
He remembers the tired look on Ironwood's face, his actions since Beacon's destruction, and the state of Mantle. Jake's works reverberate in his head, causing him to sigh under his breath.
"Well... what do you suppose he should do, then?"
But again, Jake shrugs.
"Dunno. I'm not the man in charge."
Qrow glances at Jake.
"It's why I asked you for your thoughts in the first place. But right now, I'm not opposed to following his orders."
Jake sits down on a chair by the desk next to the balcony. Opening his hand, clusters of blue and purple energy merge to form his scythe. He begins to rub and play with his weapon, causing Qrow to huff at the sight.
"You're sure full of mysteries, kid."
Jake looks up to Qrow.
"What do you mean by that?"
Qrow gruffs.
"You know what I mean. How you survived the accident that took away your family, how you were affiliated with Salem, how you broke free from her, your current motives... Is beating Salem really the only motive for you? What else is going through that mind of yours?"
Jake raises a brow, slightly ticked off at Qrow's nonchalant words.
"Oh, they weren't meant to be insults, by the way."
But, before he could reply, five firm knocks on the door grab his attention.
"Good morning. We request Y/N and Qrow Branwen's presence as representatives for the mission briefing in the General's office. It'll start in 20 minutes, please be on standby."
Jake huffs at Winter's command and stands up. He closes his hand to absorb his scythe as it dissolves into a cluster of blue and purple particles. He then turns over to Apollo and Heath, the two slowly awakening from their slumber.
"You should go. I'll make sure that he's fully awake." says Jake. Qrow begrudgingly agrees, as he lets out a sigh and heads out the door.
Though, as Qrow closes the door, Jake turns to Apollo and clicks his tongue, pondering on Qrow's words from earlier.
"Of course defeating Salem's my only goal. I'd rather be dead if it were anything else."
---------------
A few moments later, Apollo walks through Atlas Academy's hallway, dressed in his outfit since arriving in Mistral.
Along the way, he looks to find several Atlesian students in their uniforms, some of them walking to their next class, some of them talking with one another. They all shared looks towards him, however, which caused him some slight discomfort.
But, he completely understood why he was stared at as if he was a zoo animal. He did look quite... alien, considering his black cape, the sleeveless vest, and his joggers were quite an unusual sight to see in the coldest region on Remnant.
"Who's that? Do you recognize him?"
"No...? Is he a student?"
"I'm not sure, but look at what he's wearing! What is that!?"
"He looks so odd... Is he not cold, wearing such a gig here?"
"Now that you mention it... he doesn't look Atlesian... maybe he's a transfer student?"
Apollo lets out an internal sigh. The first chance he gets, he's changing his entire outfit.
Ignoring the students and continuing his walk, he eventually makes it to Ironwood's office. He opens the doors to find Ruby, Jaune, Qrow, and Clover, all of them already on standby around the center of the office.
"Ah... last one here, huh? Sorry, kinda overslept a bit..."
Apollo says, letting out a yawn as he finishes, causing Ruby and Jaune to chuckle.
Ruby: Last one here's a rotten egg.
Apollo: What!? That's not how that works! You're meant to say that BEFORE the stipulation!
Ruby sticks her tongue out, which infuriates Apollo further. However, a sharp cough snaps the attention of the three representatives.
Clover: The three of you can goof off after the briefing.
Jaune: S-Sorry, Clover.
Regaining composure, the representatives stand around the center of the office in a circle. With a click of a button, the office dims, and the center circular floor of the office rises as a table, revealing 4 holographic screens revealing the details of the mission.
Clover: Our mission tomorrow is to secure the launch site for the Amity Communications Tower. The designated area is an abandoned Dust mine. Since its closure, the Grimm have moved in.
The screens display a mission overview, a photograph of Huntsmen battling a Geist, a menu, a map of an area in the Kingdom of Atlas, a list of the active huntsmen around Atlas, and a list of the Ace Operatives. Grace's portrait was displayed underneath the Ace Ops category as well, which caught Apollo's eye.
The active huntsmen category displayed all members of Team RWBY, Team JNR, Qrow, Heath, and Jake, whose portrait was blurred out with question marks. This caught Ruby's eye.
Clover: The good news is all that untouched Dust is still down there, too. Science team says they'll need it for the first phase of their launch. Atlas Military Huntsmen are already hard at work clearing out the surrounding tundra, but recon has identified a powerful Geist that's managed to evade destruction and take several lives.
Clover clicks a button on his scroll, revealing an image of a Geist possessing steel materials and solid ice to form a body. The three representatives frown, remembering their battle against the Geist who was attacking a village back in Mistral.
Clover: After we increased our numbers, the Geist was smart enough to retreat into the mine itself, meaning it's old and extremely dangerous. This is our target.
The screens soon fade away, but a 3D hologram of the mines replaces it atop the table.
Clover: The mine was a labyrinth back in the day. There's all sorts of tunnels and chambers the Geist can move between, so if we're gonna kill this thing, we'll have to split up and corner it.
The 3D hologram fades away to reveal multiple screens, consisting of a list that shows the party split into separate teams. The 1st screen revealed Ruby, Weiss, Yang, and Blake, led by Harriet Bree and Marrow Amin. The 2nd screen showed Jaune, Nora, and Ren, led by Vine Zeki and Elm Ederne. The 3rd screen showed Qrow and Clover as a duo, and the last screen showed Apollo, Jake, and Heath, led by Donica Grace Patricia.
Clover: These will be our parties entering the mission. The four of you will be split into your own designated teams, led by members of the Ace Ops. If you have any issues with your teams, refer to General Ironwood, as he was the one who made the teams.
Clover glances at the expressions of the four representatives, each person gazing at the screens. He smiles confidently and paces around the table.
Clover: General Ironwood says you've seen your fair share of combat. I trust that man with my life, so tomorrow, I'll be trusting you all, too.
Clicking on his scroll, the screens vanish, the blinders lift from the windows, and the table sinks back into the floor.
Clover: One more thing before we end today's briefing. You are all granted permission to request upgrades to your weaponry and gear to Doctor Pietro, as was promised by General Ironwood yesterday. I'll give you his contact information, so make sure to tell your teammates about tomorrow's mission. Your upgrades should already be finished by then.
Ruby: R-Really!? Our upgrades will only take a day!?
Clover nods.
Clover: You're dealing with the best of the best. Although, for the sake of the science team, I'd heavily suggest not asking too much from them. They're all already busy as is.
This earns a snicker from Apollo and Jaune. Clover then sends Pietro's contact information to the four representatives' scrolls, signified by the four notifications that dinged simultaneously.
Clover: We'll run a short briefing tomorrow morning before the mission, just in case there are any last-minute changes. If you have any questions, feel free to contact any of us, we'll be more than glad to assist. But, other than that, you are all free to take today off to relax for tomorrow. You may all be dismissed.
With a bow, Apollo, Ruby, and Jaune left the office and headed back to the barracks.
Ruby: Ahhh! Missions! I'm so excited for tomorrow! It's gonna be so much FUN!
She glances at Apollo and Jaune.
Ruby: Doesn't it feel like we're actual huntsmen now!?
Apollo snickers and nods.
Apollo: I mean, we've all basically been doing huntsmen work since going on this journey. But yeah, this does feel quite exciting.
Jaune: ... You guys are excited?
Apollo and Ruby turn to face a pale-faced Jaune, the blonde slightly hunched over.
Jaune: I think I might throw up from nervousness...
Ruby: Easy there, Vomit-Boy. At least save it for the washroom.
Jaune glares at Ruby, causing her to giggle. Apollo sighs and pats Jaune on the back, relieving the blonde of his discomfort.
Apollo: Just relax! Besides, we're all gonna be led by the Ace Ops anyway! We're all there to provide additional firepower, that's all.
Jaune: ... That does make me feel ten times better. Thanks, Y/N.
The two boys share a smile as they carry on walking to the barracks.
However, as they turn a corner, a certain aqua-eye girl wearing a black beret standing a bit away from them hums in confusion to herself, her eyes narrowing as suspicions begin to brew in her mind.
---------------
It was now evening, as the sky above Atlas was slowly turning dark. Apollo, Heath, and Jake stroll along the courtyard of Atlas Academy, having taken the day to explore the academy for themselves.
After all, this was going to be where they'll be staying for the foreseeable future. Might as well get accustomed to their surroundings.
"Dude, I can't believe how big and beautiful this school is!" exclaimed Heath.
Apollo: Same here, and I thought Beacon was great.
Jake: What were you two expecting? This IS the wealthiest kingdom on Remnant.
Heath: Well duh, I knew Atlas Academy was gonna wipe the floor against my school, but I didn't expect it to be this... luxurious! This school could just be a 10-out-of-5-star hotel in itself!
Heath suddenly shivers, rubbing his arms and body together.
Heath: Though... I do wish the climate was warmer...
Jake lets out a sigh.
Jake: Did you really think this through when you left Mistral? Did you not pack any clothes for the cold?
Heath: How was I supposed to know that Atlas was gonna be this cold!? This isn't my fault!
Jake: You're the only person who could've prepared the best out of all of us. The fact that you're freezing is COMPLETELY your fault.
Heath: Oh, shut it! Speaking of which...
Heath extends his arms towards the two.
Heath: How in hell are you two NOT freezing!? You're both wearing less clothing than me!
Jake muses.
Jake: I won't deny that I'm cold, but years of pain tolerance and training have made this a complete joke. This is nothing compared to that.
Heath: Wow, cool, uh-huh, yeah, that's awesome, yeah shut your mouth. What about you, Y/N?
However, Apollo shrugs.
Apollo: I honestly have no idea how I'm not cold. Realistically, I should be frozen solid with what I'm wearing.
Jake: 1000 lien says it's because of your power.
Apollo: Probably. Didn't expect my powers to give me a bonus for climate resistance.
Heath: Maybe I should use my Semblance. That'd keep me warm from the cold!
Heath takes off his shoes, but Jake shakes his head and sighs.
Jake: No, you'd just cause a massive scene.
Heath: At least I wouldn't be freezing!
Apollo: I'm with Jake here. Please don't use your Semblance outside of fighting, Heath. Especially because of how flashy your Semblance is.
Heath: Whaat? Aw maaaaan.
Heath puts his shoes back on and pouts. Jake then faces Apollo.
Jake: I hope you're ready for the mission tomorrow. Then again, I suppose this mission won't be as hard as what we've undergone so far.
Apollo: You can never know, Jake. Expect the unexpected.
Jake: True, but I don't suppose these Ace Operatives would require much of our assistance, if they are so good that they're Ironwood's personal lap dogs.
Heath: We did kinda get wiped by them yesterday...
Jake huffs.
Jake: Hardly a fair fight, might I add.
Heath: Yeah, well, they still arrested all of us.
Jake: Again, in a hardly fair fight.
Heath lets out a sigh.
Heath: You really don't like admitting to your losses, huh Jake?
Jake: Are you calling me an egoist?
Heath: No, I'm just callin' you a sore loser.
Jake: What was that!?
Apollo lets out a sigh as he separates Jake and Heath from each other before their argument escalates further.
As they continued their walk, Heath brought up another thought.
Heath: So... Grace is leading us for the mission, huh?
Apollo: Hm?
He glances to see a wide smile on Heath's face.
Heath: Gah, I'm so excited for tomorrow! It's been so long since we went on a quest like this! Remember the camp?
Apollo: Hah, how could I ever forget? That camp was... an experience, to say the least.
He turns to glare at Jake, remembering the severe injuries and wounds that were inflicted by him.
Heath: I do wonder how much stronger she's gotten. The fact that she's now part of Ironwood's personal team... that's insane, is it not? Heck, I'd wager she's stronger than you now, Y/N!
Apollo: We'll see, Heath. But remember, this isn't going to be a contest of strength and skill. We're all to play a part in this mission.
Jake: He's right. Try not to cause too much trouble for us, alright?
Heath: Wha-? Excuse you!?
Jake snickers, causing Heath to grit his fist in rage. But, his anger soon dissolves.
Heath: Speaking of the mission tomorrow... what kinda upgrades are you getting, Y/N?
Apollo: Oh, upgrades for my weapon? Well...
Apollo smiles to himself as he puts his hands in his pockets.
Apollo: You'll see for yourself. It's... quite a drastic change.
Heath pouts.
Heath: Aw, no fair! That just makes me more interested, Y/N! Spill the beans!
Apollo: Even if I did, it'd be quite hard to describe it in words. Why don't you tell me your upgrades for tomorrow?
Heath crosses his arms and looks away.
Heath: If you're not telling me, I won't tell you. Hmph!
Apollo sighs and chuckles.
Apollo: Fair 'nuff, I suppose.
He then turns to face Jake.
Apollo: Quite surprised you didn't request anything though, Jake.
Jake: Why should I? My weapon is forged from my own aura.
Jake opens his hand, and in a swirl of blue and purple particles, his scythe was formed. Heath huffs at this display.
Heath: ... Stupid Jake and his stupid theatrics...
Jake: Aura can be manifested in many ways. Most huntsmen use their aura as protection, but quite a handful amount of others can use it in other ways. I'm one of the few that can utilize my aura to make a weapon.
Apollo: Doesn't that take out a good chunk of your aura though?
Jake smiles.
Jake: My aura reserve matches the likes of Jaune, if not higher. I have nothing to worry about running out.
Apollo: Jeez...
Heath: He's just flexing on us, Y/N. Let him be with his stupid power complex, hmph.
Apollo rolls his eyes at Heath's bitter tone.
Soon, the trio finds themselves by the entrance of Atlas Academy. Manta's docked by the landing bay as students began to pile out from the aircraft, while security guards patrolled the area.
Heath walks ahead towards the edge of the platform and looks down, letting out a gasp of awe at the view down below. From where he stood, the entire city of Atlas lay before him, with its beautiful neon lights illuminating the city.
Jake and Apollo followed suit, as the trio gazed at the city below them. It truly was a magnificent sight.
Yet, as Heath and Jake admired the view below them, Apollo remained stoic. He could only think about the visions that Selene had shown him earlier.
His house was located somewhere within this city.
The answer to most of his questions... it all lay within his original home.
The blurry images of his mother and father on the plaques, the locked door on the 2nd floor...
...
And how he ended up in Nakoya Village when Atlas was his original home...
...
Does his home still stand to this day in the first place? It's been years, possibly a full decade since he lost his memory.
...
All these questions, but no concrete answer.
He'll have to locate his house if he wishes to uncover the truth.
And... that prospect brought him unease.
...
...
...
"Hey! You three, get away from the edge!"
Heath jumps in shock and turns around to find security guards marching towards them.
"Oh... crap."
But, within a split second, Jake turns Apollo and Heath into shadows, and the three blitzed it back into the academy, much to the confusion of the security guards.
---------------
"That'll be all for our briefing. Gather your teams and head to Doctor Pietro's laboratory to grab your gear and head to the airship bay. I'll see you all in the afternoon."
Clover finishes, wrapping up the final briefing for the mission ahead.
In a flash, Ruby, Jaune, and Apollo run out of the office to their rooms. Gathering their roommates, the party except Oscar boards a manta towards Pietro's laboratory.
Upon arrival, Pietro stood by the front door, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the group.
"There you all are! Come inside!"
The group enters the laboratory as Pietro closes the door. He then guides the party towards a room filled with various facilities and machines.
Pietro: Apologies for the mess and for holding onto your weapons for so long. The upgrades you requested were, uh... well, they were more than I anticipated. Especially for one specific person.
He laughs, causing Apollo to rub the back of his neck.
Apollo: Sorry, doctor...
Pietro: Your new weapons and armor should be as requested, but I also took the liberty of reviewing your combat footage from the Vytal Festival Tournament.
Pietro motions over to multiple cabinets filled with cases, each case having a label on them. One by one, the party grabs their case, smiling as they eagerly awaited to see what lay inside.
Pietro: There's some additional enhancements I'd like to suggest. Oh, but for now, these should serve you well enough.
Nora, Ruby, Heath, and Jaune open their cases slightly to take a peek, each of them letting out an exclaimed gasp at what they saw.
However, Apollo was the only person to not have his own case. He turns to Pietro confused, but a smile rested on the doctor's lips.
Pietro: Rest assured, I haven't forgotten about your upgrades. Come with me, you'll want to see this.
He gestures Apollo to follow along to a deeper part of the laboratory, earning stares and questioning glances from the group. They walk over to a locked door, where Pietro scans his ID. The door automatically opens upon granting access, allowing the two to head further inside.
The room was quite dimly lit and smaller in size compared to the previous room. A large table rested in the middle of the room, and laid atop it was a case much larger than what the rest of the group got. Apollo's eyes widen, feeling a mixture of nervousness and excitement.
Pietro: Go on. Open it up.
Nodding, Apollo walks over to the case and opens it up...
And, he lets out an audible gasp at what he saw.
Laid on the left side of the case were clothes meant for the cold environment of Solitas. Apollo carefully grabs the stack of clothes and places them on the table.
The first piece of clothing was a black moisture-wicking shirt, meant to absorb any liquid, whether it be sweat or rain. Next to it was a black cardigan with dark red arm sleeves that stretched to his wrists. The cardigan in itself had orange engravings etched into it, giving the cardigan a pleasing visual look.
Beside the cardigan were 2 metallic shoulder pads and a more refined black cape that stretched to the back of his knees. Apollo's original cape was tied around his collarbone, whereas this cape could be clasped by the metal pads to hang around his shoulders, allowing for easier mobility and comfortability.
A brown pouch with a long silky string was laid next to the cape and pads, allowing storage of any necessities such as arrows, ammo, and dust crystals. Next to the pouch were black thick insulated pants and red waterproof boots, meant to traverse the terrain of the snowy landscape of Solitas. And finally, atop the boots and pants were black fingerless gloves, fitted perfectly for Apollo's hands.
"Let's see Grace talk smack about my outfit now."
But, what caught Apollo's eye was the weapon that lay on the right side of the case.
It was a brand-new sword, brandished in black with orange-red engravings on its blade and hilt. Its scabbard colored in gold and black laid next to the sword, a hook around the tip of the scabbard for Apollo to cling onto his hip. 2 triggers were laid on the hilt of the sword, one on the top and one on the bottom, as well as a small container meant for dust crystals.
"Amazed, huh? I can tell by the expression on your face, heh."
Apollo glances at Pietro, stars glistening in his eyes.
"But, before you start thanking me, play around with the sword a little! Your brand new toy's got more than meets the eye."
Obliging, Apollo grabs his new sword. The weight of the sword was perfect; it wasn't too light, nor was it too heavy for him. A few short swings to test the weight, then a sharp fast swing to test its flexibility.
"W-Woah! Don't get too rowdy with it now, this room's quite small!"
"O-Oh, sorry!"
Rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment, he then glances at the buttons and triggers on the hilt of his sword. They were located in a way where he would be unable to unintentionally click on a trigger by accident, which had been quite a reoccurring issue with his gunblade.
Clicking on the trigger on the top of the hilt, Apollo's eyes widen as the blade's tip opens up to the side to reveal some sort of cannon.
"Ah, that's the dust cannon feature! It's quite similar to how it worked on your gunblade."
Still with wide eyes, Apollo nods at Pietro and glances at the dust container on the hilt of the sword. He then glances at the tip of his blade, taking note of the shape of the cannon.
Clicking on the trigger to close the cannon, he clicks on a trigger on the bottom of the hilt. And, to his shock once again, the sword starts to transform shape, the entirety of the weapon changing form with the sounds of gears clanking from within.
And, upon finishing its transformation, Apollo gasps, completely struck in awe at what now laid on his hands.
It was a recurved bow, decorated with spikes on the limbs and sight windows. The string of the bow was firm and flexible, and the arrow rest of the bow was adjustable. A dust container stuck onto the upper limb of the bow, complemented by a switch next to the container.
"Here's your bow, just as you requested! I made some slight modifications, as you could probably feel. The arrow rest is adjustable, so you can shoot up to 3 arrows if you so wish! Oh, and the switch next to the dust container allows you to choose whether you want normal shots or dust-powered shots. Pick your poison!"
Apollo takes a moment to awe at his recurved bow, feeling the weight and its flexibility. The spikes on the limbs of the bow were what caught his eye, as that meant he would be able to use the bow in melee combat situations.
But, before Apollo could gape at his new weapon any further, Pietro coughs his throat.
"I'm very glad to know that you're enjoying your new weapon so much, but I'm afraid that you're going to have to hurry it up. We... don't have much time, you see."
"O-Oh, of course! Sorry!"
Nodding, Apollo quickly transforms his bow back to its sword form and sheathes it in its scabbard. He puts his clothes and sword back into the case and closes it tightly, grabbing the case in his hands. Though, he lets out a grunt at the weight of the case, not expecting it to be as heavy as he anticipated.
Exiting the room, he walks back to the group with a wide smile on his face. Ruby and Heath stared at him, then glanced down at the case.
"Now, before you all head back to your rooms, you're all gonna have to fill out some biodata. Won't take long, I'm sure you're all very excited to try out your new toys, heh."
Nora groans as the group follows Pietro to a set of computers. One by one, the group filled out their respective biodata until it was Apollo and Jake.
As Apollo sits down to type on the computer, he glances at his student profile from Beacon and scowls at his previous data.
It read:
Name: Y/N
Guardians: Tony Kie Lay & Lysandra Hill Lay
Sex: Male.
Semblance: ???
Weapon: Slice & Dread
Affiliation: Student
He stares at his foster father's and mother's names, the night that Beacon fell replaying in his mind once more. Glumly, he skips to the next page and types in his new biodata.
Name: Y/N
Guardians: Undisclosed.
Sex: Male
Semblance: Mimicry
Weapon: Undisclosed.
Affiliation: Student.
Upon finishing typing, Pietro glances over to the computer, but his brows furrow at the 'Guardians' section. He turns to face Apollo, but he stops himself as he notices the glum expression on his face.
"I... suppose it's not my place to ask about that, right?"
Apollo hesitates, but nods soon after. Pietro nods back at him and motions for Jake to fill out his biodata.
"I appreciate it, Doctor Pietro."
A warm smile then grows on Pietro's face.
"Just call me Pietro, no honorifics."
Apollo nods and walks away from the computer, but as he walks past Pietro, he glances at his computer screen to read out Jake's biodata.
Name: Jake Austin.
Guardians: Romeo Austin & Juliet Austin.
Sex: Male.
Semblance: Umbral Phasing
Weapon: Umbra Mortis
Affiliation: Undisclosed
And with that, the group headed back to their rooms to prepare for the mission ahead.
---------------
Next Time on The Ashes of The Chosen:
The First of Many (Volume 7 Chapter 4)
A/N:
Yo, Carter here. Apologies for the long delay, I went on vacation back home to spend time with my family and to take a break from the internet. I'm back now, and I'm ready to continue writing this story.
Sorry for the lack of action these past 3 chapters, by the way. But, don't worry, it'll all kick off next chapter, so I hope you're all ready.
Hope you all like the new weapons and outfits for this arc, by the way! It was pretty fun to try and think about outfits for the winter, especially in a RWBYverse setting.
That's all, I'll see you lot later! Carter Out!